Chapter 16: Shadows of the Night

“That’s suicide!” exclaimed Krissa. The King and Queen sat around a campfire, counseling with the horse mistress and mage.1

William had gather all the mages of the court and prepared them for battle. It was just a matter of time when the enemy would strike so Nathan laid out the plan even with the out burst of his friends.2

“I have to agree with Krissa on this one,” said Tasan. “How are you going to get him to drink it?”3

“I won’t need to,” Nathan replied calmly. “I will drink it.”4

Krissa gasped.5

“No,” Tasan fought. “This potion,” she waved a vile with a green-blue substance in it in front of Nathan’s nose, “can kill you. It’s an extra strength potion to weaken powerful demons.” The queen pointed out, “and the last time I checked you were not a demon.”6

“Nathan,” the king said calmly, “I’m sure there must be another way. It’s too risky.”7

“William, I live on risk,” Nathan said trying to explain, “besides this is the only opportunity that I—and me alone—can perform the spell. So I am the one who needs to drink the potion unless for it to work. Trust me! Just distract the rest of the army.”8

“And wait while you try to kill yourself?” retorted the king.9

“If I perform the spell just right,” the mage continued ignoring the king’s comment, “Zoreon and I will switch places. He will have my strength and magic and I in return gain his.”10

“So that makes you the more powerful demon,” Krissa said thinking out loud.11

“Exactly!” Nathan said excited, “and then it will be easier to defeat him.”12

“But wouldn’t you be corrupt by the mighty power of Zoreon’s dark magic?” asked Tasan.13

“Good question,” stated Nathan, “and the answer is yes, but not for long. This is why I need a second potion to seduce the evil powers that may completely corrupt me; which we don’t want. And I may need a strengthening potion just in case I become too weak when I rid myself of the dark magic.”14

“Nathan,” Tasan protested, “you can’t take that many potions. They could feed off your magic and maybe kill you!”15

“It takes more than three really strong potions to knock a man my size out,” he pointed out. “My magic is my strength. It’s stronger than any mage in the Kingdom.”16

“But once you give back Zoreon’s magic,” Tasan continued to argue, “your original strength will return with your washed up magic he may or may not have spent. You may be too weak to do anything.”17

“That’s why I need a strengthening potion,” Nathan explained again.18

“The potion could back fire…”19

“Let’s hope it doesn’t,” Nathan interrupted Tasan’s train of thought.20

“What about his army?” asked William, “I won’t be able to hold them off for long.”21

“As soon as I switch places with Zoreon,” Nathan said, “the army will be in my control. I will have the power to send them back to the underworld.”22

“You may need to draw Zoreon out into the open,” Krissa put in, “to get his attention.”23

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” the King said, “Zoreon and the rest of his army’s attention will be on my army.”24

“Which will cause a commotion,” Nathan agreed. He held out his hand, “Now, Tasan, the vile if you please.”25

£26

Larissa drifted in and out of consciousness. When she was conscious, she began to hallucinate. She heard the voices of Tasan, William, Krissa Nathan, and sometimes Moranna talking. They were just talking to her. Larissa would sometimes open her eyes and she could see them standing over her.27

Sometimes she could see her parents how they were before they had died. She didn’t have the energy to cry for them anymore. In the past few years she had moved on without them. It was a lot easier to deal with the pain.28

Larissa was conscious again. Her body was too weak to get up so she just laid on glassy floor in a fog. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, but to no avail. The fog just got thicker. She gave up trying to see and closed her eyes.29

She imagined herself walking through the palace gardens smelling a mixture of sweet fragrances. In her mind she continued to walk around the palace until she found the stables. She walked in to find Nina munching on a nice pile of hay. Nina whipped her head around and found her mistress leaning in the doorway.30

Larissa went to her and put her arms around Nina’s neck, tears in her eyes. She brushed Nina’s silky coat until there weren’t anymore flecks of dirt in it or in her mane. The girl patted her on the back and went to get a bucket of oats. Now, within her crystal prison, Larissa wished she could be there right now with Nina.31

She opened her eyes and choked on her own breathing. When her coughing fit had passed, she closed her eyes again forming another picture.32

This one was a memory. Larissa had escaped her chores and had gone to town, following a stream of magic. She had followed the magic until it had released her from its clutches.33

The girl had stopped in front of Nathan’s shop. When she had entered, Larissa couldn’t stop looking at him. His voice was strong and precise, when she had first heard his voice call out to her. When she finally had a good look at him, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. His tall slim figure looked strong and majestic with tumbled brown hair. Oh and his eyes! She had never seen eyes that sparkled so much when he spoke. They were the charm of his whole physique and her eyes chose to linger on them. She absolutely loved his eyes.34

Larissa smiled in the memory. She will miss him. She could never forget the first time he had kissed her. She felt the heat and passion in just one kiss. Larissa had wondered if he really did love her like she loved him. She wanted him, needed him to be there for her, to tell her that every will be all right. She had never wanted anything this bad. Her passion for him burned like wild magic through her body. No matter how hard she tried, she could not control it.35

She opened her eyes to get away from the fire of desire. It wasn’t the same without him there. So she thought of something else until she drifted off to sleep or she lost consciousness.36

£37

The trees rustled in the darkness. A light wind had picked up, chilling the air around the phantom army. Commander Jarro was unmoved by the stillness of the night. The masked man watched the lights of the army that camped in the distance.38

A figure approached the masked man from behind, but the commander didn’t acknowledge the person even when Captain Scarkorsh addressed the commander.39

They stood beside each other in silence until the Captain asked a question, “Any word from Zoreon?”40

The commander shook his head still not looking away from the army in front.41

The Captain growled his frustration, “the moon is almost high.”42

“He will be here,” Jarro growled back, “master mages are always late.”43

Scarkorsh grunted and walked off.44

“He’s right,” Jarro looked to see that Madais now stood next to the commander, but his eyes were cast upward toward the sky.45

Jarro looked up and saw that the moon was almost in the highest peak of the sky. A light cloud hung over it to shield the night from it’s complete existence. Jarro replied without looking away from the moon, “The captain is not our leader anymore. No matter how much power he once contained.”46

“And you think this Zoreon is any better?” Madais asked the commander looking away from the brilliance of the moon. “I don’t trust him.”47

“We have to,” barked Jarro, “he’s our master now. Do you want to go back to the underworld? Do you really want to taste a vast world where you cannot feel anything?”48

“It would be better than living in the shadows of a mad-man,” Madais replied bitterly.49

“We take our orders without questions,” Jarro said, “and our orders are to stay put until our master returns.” The commander returned to staring across the darkness at the lit camped army.50

He was lost in his thoughts again thinking and rethinking of everything that had happened since Zoreon had brought the army back from the underworld. Jarro and the master had watched the army and its captains argue with their leader. They too didn’t trust the dark mage, questioning the demon’s power. Soon Zoreon was quick to anger and had sent a few of his soldiers back to the underworld.51

“Everything in place?” Zoreon’s voice asked startling the Commander from behind.52

Jarro nodded.53

“Good,” the master seemed please, “our time is now.”54

“Master,” Jarro spoke up but didn’t look him in the eye. “The men are getting restless. I can sense an unknown fear among them.”55

“It will go away,” all Zoreon replied with.56

“Yes, master.” There was a small silence before Jarro approached, “They don’t trust you and your judgment.”57

“They will soon learn,” answered Zoreon, “once we rise they will know where their loyalty lies. Until then…”58

“But you struggle to control them,” Jarro put in.59

The Commander turned to see that Zoreon glared at him, “I soon will.” 60

£61

Night fell faster than then the mages could recall. The King had ready his own army against the Phantom Army that was still rising in the distance. William was worried. He never felt this nervous. As a mage, he was also human. As a King he always had to show power and authority even where he was afraid for his people. Young mages, not even past manhood, had been called to fight this terrifying war.62

William shook his head. He felt ashamed that they should fight a battle they may not win. He had to give them hope, but he to felt a little fear.63

“Frightful night isn’t it?” a voice came up behind him.64

The king tensed, then relaxed as he replied, “it’s only frightful if you haven’t really looked fear in the eyes.”65

“True,” he didn’t even have to look at the speaker to recognize Krissa’s voice. Tasan was in the healer’s tent. She was ordered to stay put unless she was needed. Krissa, on the other hand, had orders to remain at the palace with Morranna, but he couldn’t blame her for wanting to be out in the action. Her magic would help some. Her personality may even have eased the tension between the mages.66

The King smiled inside at the thought of Krissa playing soldier.67

“Is Nathan in place?” he asked finally turning to face her.68

He saw that she held her hand out, palm up, with a small bubble resting on the palm of her hand. It was a speech spell. It was a spell where Nathan could communicate with the King from within his position among the Phantom Army’s camp. Nathan had positioned himself within the camp so he could work his magic.69

William could see that Nathan was moving in and out the shadows of the trees. After a few minutes the mage stopped moving, panting really hard. He took a few minutes to catch his breath before he gave a shaky ‘thumbs up’.70

“He’s ready,” Krissa stated not looking up from the speech spell.71

“Good,” William sighed. It was one less thing for him to worry about.72

£73

The wind shifted. The night was stilled so where the phantom devils, except one. Something is wrong, thought Scarkorsh. He had been edgy since Master Zoreon had left them a few hours ago. As the night had wore on and the Master had ‘mysteriously’ disappeared again, the Captain grew worried.74

The Captain paced, but still no word. He felt helpless. Something was crawling on the edge of his awareness. Something the Captain could not place. It was here in the midst of the Army. Its presence reeked of magic. The Captain thought it was the Master’s until he began to hear a faint humming sound. The air became still and quiet except for the humming that grew louder.75

The humming got to a point where it was screeching in the Captain’s ears. Scarkorsh could take it the pain. He loved pain. He welcomed with an opened black heart. The screeching intensified and swarmed around the Captain like insects. The Captain was unmoved by the sound. Something else had caught the Captain’s attention.76

Scarkorsh had felt it in his bones before he even saw it. The sky had gone completely black. No stars, no moon, no clouds, nothing. The magic sang in his body. Digging into the Captain’s body, but he couldn’t feel it. He felt nothing, feared nothing, yet the magic swirled inside him. Even though he couldn’t feel it, he knew it was there.77

“Captain!” a voice said behind him. Madais, Commander Jarro, Viper, Bane and Venessa all came running in his direction.78

Madais reached the Captain first. “Captain,” he panted, “there’s a disturbance around the camp…”79

“It’s a barrier,” Commander Jarro stated.80

“A magical barrier,” Madais put in, “someone is using magic to trap the army’s magic. No one can use their magic while the barrier is up, we can’t even shimmer.”81

Bane swore loudly, “he’s trapped us.”82

“You think Zoreon is behind this?” asked Venessa.83

“Who else would it be?” Bane returned.84

“Thissss isssn’t dark magic,” Viper hissed. “Nor issss it Devil magic. It’ssss human mage.”85

“You mean a mage is among us?” asked the Captain.86

“Yesssss,” hissed Viper, “I am most ssssure.”87

The Captain looked at Madais, “how far around is the barrier?”88

“All around the Army,” the Eagle Scout said. “We are encircled.”89

The Captain thought this through. Who had trapped them? Was Zoreon behind this? If not, how did the enemy get by the sentries?90

The situation did not waver the Captain’s authority. Whoever was behind this was not going to get away with this.91

“Zoreon is no longer in charge,” the captain said, “if he had any sense he would have knew this was going to happen. Jarro, Madais scout ahead and let me know if there are any changes to this new plot. Bane, Viper, ready the troops. If anyone gives you any trouble, inform me immediately. Venessa, I need your stealth to find this mage. Keep your senses sharp.”92

They all bowed and did as they were commanded. Captain Scarkorsh went back to watching the enemy’s camp. He waited for the storm with much anticipation.