Threat of the Shadow Mage

“SO, ASPEN,” DANTE BEGAN. ASPEN LOOKED TO HIM WITH CARE IN HER eyes.

“When’s your birthday?” he then asked.

“It’s funny you should ask that, Dante.” She said teasingly.

“It’s not today is it?” he teased back.

Aspen leaned her forearms on her knees and said, “Yes.”

They laughed, and Aspen sat back up.

“Well then. Seeing it’s your birthday…” he stopped to leave her hanging in thought.

“What?” she asked.

“No. Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

“Oh come on Dante, tell me.”

“Nope.”

“Dante.”

Dante smirked at her in a mischievous manner as she smirked back sarcastically.

“Alright. I’ll tell you,” he chuckled.

Aspen set herself in a listening position, but then Dante said, “If you can catch me!” as he ran off. “Hey! Get back here!” Aspen laughed as she went after him.

Dante laughed as he sped up so she wouldn’t get him right away and led her outside; into the forest. Aspen chased after him, but he wasn’t seeming to let her catch up. Then they came to a hill, and he began to slow down as he reached the top. Aspen smiled, seeing this as her chance. Dante stopped just as he reached the top, and turned to Aspen who was just behind him. She leapt into his arms as he turned, and the two of them tumbled down the hill laughing.

They rolled a good yard or two before they reached a low point that turned into a field. The two of them laughed, but settled down after a moment. Dante looked down into Aspen’s hazel green eyes, smiling, and then moved her hair out of her face. She looked up into his bright green eyes in admiration, and captured every moment of the two of them lying there.

“Now that I’ve caught you dear sir,” Aspen said.

Dante chuckled.

“You have to tell me what it is you were going to say.”

“Mm. Must I?” he asked.

Aspen nodded.

“Alright. Well the first half of the surprise is just there.” He looked just to the right of them.

Aspen turned and saw a gorgeous black mare tied to a tree.

“Dante.” She turned back to face him. “However did you come by such a fine mare?”

“I have my ways.”

“Well,” she said, once again looking to the mare. “She’s beautiful. The silver in her coat complements her very well.” “I thought you’d like that feature.”

Aspen turned to him again. “And the other half?” she asked.

Dante was silent; gazing into her eyes once more, for they told more about her than any amount of words could ever express. She was quiet (when she wanted to be) and kind; loving and tender. More things were seen in her eyes than what was seen by them. Dante could tell this because he had that gift. He combed his fingers through her long, soft hair, and searched her face as if looking for something. He barely leaned his head inward as he wrapped his hand around the back of her head. Aspen knew what this other half was, and brought herself to him in a simple kiss. A kiss that simply stated just how much they cared for each other and that nothing could come between them.

A few yards away, an unfriendly pair of eyes stood watch, hidden from their sights. He stared as the two young lovers expressed their emotions, but then it became too much to bear.

Dante stopped for a moment.

“How old are you?”

Aspen smiled. “Why, Dante. Don’t you know it’s never polite to ask a woman her age?” she teased.

Dante grinned.

“I should be asking you that.”

“I am twenty one,” he answered.

They were about to kiss again when a booming voice echoed through the trees.

“Did you really think you could hide forever?”

Both of them looked around, and got up - Dante putting her behind him.

“Oh, no help me. He found me.” Aspen thought, but Dante heard it.

“Who’s found you?”

“The Shadow Mage that’s been following me,” she told him.

He then drew his bow.

“Do away with that weaponry. It won’t do you any good.”

The voice said, seeming closer than before, but Dante refused.

“Don’t be a fool, boy.”

They turned abruptly as the voice sounded from another part of the forest.

“Only a fool would do as you say, Mage.”

“Aw, so you know of what I am?”

“Yes. And I may know more about you than you care to know.”

“Oh, I highly doubt that.”

Tex zoomed across the tree tops, distracting his prey, and keeping them guessing.

Dante and Aspen would look back and forth, up and around, but they couldn’t lock a visual on him. Then, just as Dante had found him, he was pushed away from Aspen, and his bow flew from his grasp.

“Dante!” she shouted as she began to run for him, but she was quickly cut off.

“Hello, Aspen,” he said after he quickly turned into his physical form.

“Did you miss me?”

Aspen was silent as she began to slowly step back, frightened.

“It certainly didn’t look like it, judging by what I just saw not moments ago.”

Dante then began to use the powers of the trees to strike at Tex, but Tex heard an unnatural buzzing and turned to face him. Smirking, he flew straight at him before he had the chance to fire. The two of them flew through the woods for quite a while before Tex decided to put him down - or rather…throw him down. He hit the forest floor harder than expected, but was quick to pick himself up. Looking around, he watched the tail end of Tex’s cloak vanish behind a distant tree. Dante rushed after him, and soon caught him.

Tex, not expecting this, was surprised as he was brought down. The two of them wrestled around before Tex had Dante pinned.

“Heh. Now…what were you, a wood elf, thinking you were going to do once you had me? Slay me? Come now, let’s be realistic. A Mage that isn’t changed at birth is the strongest of them all.” He leaned in beside Dante’s ear. “I am one of those few. No magic, mythic tongue or weapon can stop me. So, word to the wise, I wouldn’t try and resist the likes of me the next time I come to visit.” Dante didn’t want to hear any more of his pointless threats, and pushed him up and over. “No!” he said as he pinned Tex.

“No. You know why? Because you are nothing but shadow, and even shadows have a weakness - a fear. Whatever yours is, I will find it, and then use it against you, and that’s a promise.” Tex cocked his head a little.

“But in the meantime,” Dante said as he pulled something from his pocket. “Live with this while you can withstand it.” He then jabbed a very thick stick looking object into Tex’s chest, just between two of his ribs.

“Ah!” Tex hissed as he threw his head back. After a moment, he looked at what was put into him.

That object was dark brown with jade green vines markings with leaves wrapping around it. As he gazed at it, a light, liquid shade of another brown was seen getting lower and lower from the inside. This was no stick Dante pulled from the ground. It was a serum that was made for one purpose, and one purpose only. To kill someone from the inside, out. This serum would do things to people that no one understood. Only the creator of the serum could wrap his head around it, and according to his journal entries that were found in very private libraries, it would eat away at a person’s insides like molasses falling over stone. It would pinch and punch, squeeze, and bite, and because of it, it would eventually kill them once it reached the vital organs; but, enduring this pain made one minute feel the equivalent of three days.

Tex began to lift his hand to remove it, but then they both looked down the clearing as they heard Aspen calling for Dante. With Dante distracted, Tex punched him, and then flew off. Dante wiped the blood from his mouth as he watched him disappear into the further parts of the woods. Then Aspen came around the corner, and noticeably slouched in relief. Dante got up and ran, meeting her half way, and held her as she came into his arms.

“I thought you were killed,” she said, but he comforted her.

“No. I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to be okay. It’s alright.”

Back in town, everyone was just minding their own, and living as if nothing was wrong. Then a black cloud zoomed through the border, and caught their attention. They all watched as it headed for the town square, but were rudely shaken as it landed. It was Tex. The dust settled, and they all saw him standing there facing the ground. He looked at his hand that held the vile that had previously been injected into him, and tilted his hand so that it slid from his hand. It hit the ground, but did not break, and he then lifted his dark head.

The villagers stepped back as they saw his eyes, and then it began. Tex started to destroy everything. Baskets of clothes, food, and other things exploded when he would simply lay eyes on them. Wooden pillars on homes and trade stands were splintered, and bloodcurdling screams of fear were heard. Tex walked through it all, not moving anything but his feet. All this was happening just by him thinking it.

As he reached the other side of the square he stopped and looked to his left. A child crouched in a corner covering her ears and crying a slurred, “Momma!” By the looks of it, she was no more than five. He then went over to her, grabbed her up, and shot up, heading back to the hideout where everyone waited for orders.

“Come on,” Dante said after pulling her back so he could look at her face. “We better get back to the village.

Aspen agreed, and they went back for the horse. But by the time they got back to the village, damage had already been done, and everyone was coming out, observing their losses, and cleaning up what they could. Dante hopped down and trotted over to one of the older men who had a trade stand. As he spoke to him, Aspen looked around. “This is all my fault.” She thought as she watched them pick up the scraps of cloth and bread. Then she looked at Dante, who now looked rather distressed. With a hand to the hip and another on the back of his neck, he paced not two steps each direction. He said one last word to the man, sighed, and then almost sulked as he came back to Aspen. He put his forearms on the mare’s back and looked up into Aspen’s gentle face.

“It seems that our friend has paid the villagers a visit.” He looked down and then turned, one arm still on the horse, and then said, “The whole square is wrecked.” “I’m sorry. This was my fault.” Aspen said solemnly.

Dante turned back to her, and took up her hand closest to him. “No. Don’t go blaming yourself for the actions of others.” Tears burned the edges of her eyes as she looked down at him. “But it is at my fault. He’s been searching for me ever sense I ran from home. He’s trying to get me to come with him so that he may change me into what he is and help to devour what all is good in this world. It won’t stop until his clan gets a hold of me. More villages will be destroyed, and then he’ll start to take hostages. It doesn’t stop until I am one of them.” Aspen almost grew stern in her tone, but she stopped, and looked the other way as so Dante wouldn’t see her tears.

He rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. “Hey.”

She sniffed, but she did not turn.

“Aspen,” he said kindly.

She turned, and a couple tears had fallen to her cheek.

Dante reached up as he smiled, and wiped them away gently. Just how he softened his face gave Aspen enough comfort to trust him.

“Come on,” he said as he took the reins to lead them back home.

Just when they thought things were going to be alright, a woman shrieked and came out from one of the huts, with her arms flailing. “Jenina! Has anyone seen my Jenina? Please! Jenina!” Dante stopped, and looked at Aspen. She had a blank stare on her face.

“It’s going to be okay, Aspen.”

She looked down at him again. “How can you be sure?”

He took her hand again. “I’m not. But trust me; hear me when I tell you I’m here to protect you. No matter what comes against us, I will be strong for you, and everything will turn out for the better.” No one had ever spoken so full heartedly like that to her before, and hearing those words gave Aspen a loving peace that she’s never, in a lifetime, felt before. She smiled and tightened her grip on his hand a little. They went on their way, and everyone was on their guard, looking every which way as they went out.

Tex arrived back at the hideout and presented his hostage to Akoff as he knelt deeply with his head bowed.

“Well done Tex. I congratulate you,” Akoff told him as he approached the frightened girl.

Jenina kept to herself as best she could, but the fear that had a hold of her caused her to slightly bend in submission. She took a step back, but Tex grabbed the back of her neck to hold her still as he remained in the bowing position.

“Eh,” she whimpered.

Akoff stopped just before her.

Jenina tried to get free from Tex’s grip, but it just tightened and he almost rendered her unconscious, hadn’t Akoff relieved her.

“What is your name child?” he asked.

She didn’t dare say.

“There is no harm here, child. Just give me your name so that I may call you by name instead of having a substitute.” Jenina fiddled with her hands, and kept looking from the ground to his eyes.

“Jenina,” she murmured.

“Pardon? Speak up dear, I couldn’t hear you.” “Jenina. My, my name is Jenina.”

Akoff straightened as the name rang in his ears. “And what a good name it is,” Akoff said as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Akoff stood and began to walk away, but stopped and turned his head back.

“Tex?”

Tex raised his head.

“Take her to the back.”

He smiled and grabbed Jenina’s arm.

“Ah! No! Let me go! Mommy! Mommy!” she cried as she was practically dragged away from the main hall.

Akoff looked to the soldiers who stood before him.

“Aw the sounds of misery; just think…this time tomorrow the four kingdoms will be ours; dark, cruel, and full of miserable folk.” The soldiers all agreed and Akoff walked off to find Orianna.

He crept into the room they were in before, hoping to find her, but didn’t see her anywhere. Shrugging and turning to leave, he was suddenly pulled to the side and thrust against the wall.

“I agreed to your terms, but not if they ended up like this, Akoff,” Orianna told him.

He shook his head to be coherent again, and then looked at her.

“Killing me won’t reverse anything, Orianna.”

“I will kill you regardless if this gets any more out of hand.” She tightened her grip, and Akoff’s breath was cut short. Orianna just glared as she watched him try to hide struggling for air.

“Alright,” he managed to say, but said it again. “Alright!”

Orianna released him, and he fell to his knees as he reached for his neck. As he gasped for air, Orianna circled around to get in front of him as he rubbed his neck.

“You may be king here, but as long as you’re a Mage, you are under my authority. Since my dear late father was murdered by Tex, who was in charge of you before, that authority has been passed down to me,” she said before she grabbed his chin to make him look up at her.

“Nowhere in our terms did we say you would give Tex orders to start bringing in hostages. You will go back out there and tell him to return that child to her family under cover of night. If he resists, that’s your problem.” She forced his head back down as she threw him back into his previous position of recovery. Orianna stood and began to leave, but stopped as she reached the doorway. “And Akoff,” she began.

Akoff looked back at her, but she was silent for a moment.

“Try to do as ordered this time.”

Akoff knew the meaning behind that statement and somewhat nodded. Orianna took her leave with a huff, and Akoff hung his head again in thought.