30

  “Where are we…?” Omar’s eyes reflect the purity of the clear azure skies above him. His body shifts and turns to his side seeing Natasha, Magnus, and Luna all recovering from the sigil's magic. Each one planted firmly on the dry gray grass underneath their bottoms.

  The party slowly reconciled and made it to their feet. They were no longer in the frozen dry cold of the Pale. The humidity pressed on even at the brisk of night. The moon illuminated everything around them, even behind the quilt of vines and lush leaves hugging the entire forest floor. The vegetation was the polar opposite of the Pale’s dead forest.

  “I can hardly see a thing from either side.” Magnus attempted to snake his eyes through the dense vegetation. His boots splattered into the chocolate-colored muddy stream flowing down the south of where they landed.

  The land was smooth as paper and each member of the parties feet brushed against it like a quill. Winds scurried passed the four breezing the flowers and plant life with rhythm, flying back into the night skies with stars shaped like silver petals. The sight of this forest comforted the hearts of the lost. Its aroma is a fragrance you won’t forget by its luscious smell.

  Luna moved in front of the small stream towards trees built centuries high. Her gaze was smitten by the simple beauty of it all. She took off her leather jacket, letting the warm air brush against her. She shut her eyes and connected with nature.

  “It’s beautiful. All of this.” She humored herself plucking a flower from the ground. “Even with all that is evil in this world. We still have the beauty of nature.”

  Magnus slowly allowed a smile. His eyes were trailing the stream he was in. He bent down and studied it like a puzzle, slowly following it. “That it is. Liona. My daughter. She would love to see a sight such as this.”

  Omar dusted off his great sword and slung it over his shoulder back into its holster. He refrained from the conversation, continuing his preparation for the mission ahead. He accounted for all his vials and equipment on his three holsters, before closing his bag. He observed on a tree stomp Luna engaging with the wilderness.

  As he shut his bag, a small drawing stuck out the pocket on the side. A painting made by a child. It had almost an identical drawing to this very rain forest, with a stream leading to a river, and the forest having the sun over hanged to it. Five people were in the drawing. His four siblings including the one he never met, and himself.

  “Hmph. Back before the world showed its colors.” He slowly pushed the drawing in a crumble into his bag. “Least back then, I was human.”

  Natasha glanced over at his murmur. “You say something?” Her eyebrows crinkled, as Omar ignored her by putting his bag on his back and playing it off.

  He slowly made his way towards her, observing an ancient wolf statue marked with symbols around it. Omar barely could make out the symbols with the decaying mossy green vines spread around them. Natasha still was having a whirlwind at eradicating them.

  “You know something bothers me about all this.” He stepped beside her examining the statue. “Cassiel said he has been to this dungeon before, yet he dropped us off outside of it. He said the land of the shadow's secrets was an unforgiving place – “

  Natasha interrupted him, bumping into him as she turned her head. “You feel something is off too?”

  “You do also?” Omar turned behind him, seeing Luna approaching with her gear dangling from her arms.

  “Ancient Gaia text is noticeable to translate. The first two symbols are phrases.” Natasha rubbed her finger across the old crumbling green stone. She brushed from the hip of the wolf, towards its razor-stone teeth.

  Her eyes narrowed, as she flipped through a small manual in her left pocket. She swapped pages at rapid speed, keeping one finger on the third symbol. She slowly brushed it toward the next couple of symbols, learning.

  Away from the statue, Magnus used the razor end of his shields to bash through the tough vines and into the deeper part of the stream.

  Natasha cleared her through. “It says... For those that dare to enter the tomb of the Whispering Mother beware. Thou shadows will corrupt all this unlawful to her order. Her secrets may only be revealed to those deemed worthy by her shadows. Those seemingly unworthy will be trailed through the darkness of our glorious mother. For it is here… that the shadow forest begins to pick apart who may journey forth to her tomb. Enemies prepare. Allies beware. For the forever night hunts.”

  Magnus cleaved one last vine out of his way. His voice numbed, keeping his eyes petrified in front of him. “Omar. Ladies. I think we're already inside of it…” Magnus stated as a large foggy black door echoed with voices from the distance calling towards him. His head shot up to the trees around him.

  Omar’s head bounced to that night sky. “No.” The moon and everything around them burned in black flames like a candle. The moon evaporated and darkness fell. The trees stumped in the pitch black. Natasha, Omar, and Luna clung together on instinct. Back-to-back they could hear the very forest around them moving.

  “Magnus! Get over here!” Natasha urged, clanking together her hands and forcing two blue balls of mage light over their heads.

  “I… am… trying!” Magnus resonated, but it sounded submerged.

  Omar bit his lip, patting Natasha on her shoulder. “Light. I need to see!”

  “Thagil!” Natasha’s hands clapped together with a blue spark, reforming into a light red flame. She aimed her hands at the dark sky over them as furies of red dancing fire bounced from her hands. Light appeared and everything around them screeched. The screeching of a dying animal, only this screech came from her light alone.

  “Magnus!” Omar called out, finally able to see he pulled his great sword out. On top of Magnus, pushing his head into the water were two dark black shadow figures. They held the appearance and figure of humans but conveyed nothing but sheer darkness. The only difference to their faces was an oval mouth opening from the location of a human's eyes to their mouth.

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  The light bounced off the two shadows and they scurred further away into darkness. Omar tripped in the water to grab Magnus who still caught his breath. They hurried back to the women, yet Omar tripped again.

  “Omar!” Luna screamed out, helping Magnus who came quickly to Omar’s aid.

  A strong tree vine grappled his ankle. The three scurried to pull it off, but the grip tightened. Omar’s onyx eyes focused on it. “It has veins… what the hell is this place?” He shook it off, using his Diborn strength to pull off the atrocity.

  The four-cornered themselves back-to-back with each other. Magnus readied his shields, as Natasha continued using her magic. Luna pulled out a small dagger gasping. “What do we do?”

  The groans circling all around them flooded any potential answer. Natasha’s spell started to weaken. The light still bloomed but its effects towards the darkness faltered. Hundreds of shadow men and the living forest closed in on them. Natasha’s hands started to burn as the fire-spewing out became darker in its flames.

  Omar noticed looking to his left at her. “We haven’t much option. Natasha is starting to lose control of the spell.” He quickly swung his sword, cutting one shadow who got too close in half.

  “I saw a door with a veil over it. That may be our key out. Follow the stream and do not break this formation!” Magnus ordered.

  “Are you sure that’s the way out?” Luna gasped. Her body tingled with fear.

  Magnus slammed both his shields into one shadow, taking its head off. The thing grabbed its head and put it back on, the further away it was from the light. “I see no other option.”

  Water sludged underneath the party's feet as they trembled through the forsaken forest of shadows. They locked arms, still fighting away the scourge that marched closer to them. The shadows burned the remaining light away, and all that was left was a void.

  “I’m out…” Natasha dropped her aching crisped hands to her side, falling to her knees.

  Magnus could hear her fall despite his vanishing eyesight. He grabbed her shoulder, hoisting her back to her feet. “Natasha! Hang on, " he urged, shaking her. The use of any magic for a substantial period drains its user. Even of the most adept mages.

  “Were blinded!” Luna reiterated. She continued swinging her dagger at nothing.

  “Not all of us.” Omar’s eyes crystallized into black gems. The shadows appeared like walking skeletons with mouths dragging to the floor. They moaned as if each step was more painful than the last.

  Omar gripped his sword and a light blue energy bounced steadily off the entire blade. The shadows stepped back in fear, their arms covering the hollowed hole in their heads. “Take a step backward Magnus. Luna go with them!” Omar turned seeing the veil lifted from the stone door.

  “Stay close, Luna. He will be fine!” Magnus grabbed Luna with his other hand, moving backward.

  Omar aimed his sword at the shadows close to the veil, creating a path for the others. He slowly followed keeping the light on his sword pointed at his comrades.

  The shadows created a u shape around the party and door. Magnus continued to lead the way covering Natasha and guiding Luna. With the light pointed toward the others, shadows crept behind Omar. Launching themselves head first at him like they were shot out of a cannon. Omar pulled out a short rustic black dagger, cleaving the heads of each one coming towards him. Bodies piled up in a trail, as the other shadows tripped over them, focused only on their opposition.

  The light dimmed, as shadows cornered Omar. “Omar!” Luna called out. Several shadows jumped on Omar’s blade to dim the light of the blade. At the first touch, they vanished warped away by the light. The remaining shadows around him, slowly clasped his legs and torso, trapping him.

  “Damnit.” Omar tensely muttered, trying to shake off the tight grip of the seven that grabbed hold of him. “Let go! Let go of me damn you!”

  The shadows tightened their grip, sinking their claws deep into Omar’s left greave. The groans of the shadows echoed in unison, behind whispers. “Only… one…”

  Omar’s face shifted in shock. “Huh? Did – “

  The shadows whispered collapsing his entire body in the dozens surrounding him. “Only… one, may reach the sanctum. The Whispering Mother will only judge the one. The one who survives.” A shadow whispered in the ear of Omar, rubbing its frail skeleton claws over his mouth. “Three will be consumed by shadows. One will be judged in the forever night.”

  Omar’s gaze didn’t leave the hollow hole of the creature. “What are you – “ he questioned. Bleeding red eyes stared back into him. They arched something out of him, he had long never felt. Fear.

  “One sacrifice a challenge. Three mortal lives are to be judged. Diborn.” The shadow banged its head on Omar, as Omar casted a blue mage light to free himself from the blob of shadows engulfing him.

  Omar coughed out holding his throat. The shadows nearly suffocated him, as he tugged his blade into the air. “Guys?” Omar called out.

  He waived his light back to the party, and the door was open. Natasha and Luna held it over their heads barely, while Magnus fought off a horde of shadows. Black goo spread all over his body, with over fifty shadows mutilated in front of him. He bashed another’s head in, quickly cleaving the other one off. A calm anger grimaced on his face, as he fought off the shadows at the door. Light beamed from his shields as he battled each shadow after another.

  “Magnus…?” Omar weakly called out. He collapsed close to the light beside Magnus. “Magnus!” He forced a scream out. Magnus carved up multiple shadows, before seeing a glimmer of Omar’s figure. “Omar!” He responded, hurrying past and defeating shadows to reach Omar.

  Hundreds of shadows were still coming for them. They dropped from the trees or rose from the valley’s stream. Magnus brought Omar to his feet, yet his eyes were stuck on Omar’s neck. The black plague took his neck, with his veins turning black and spreading to where that shadow touched Omar. Magnus grabbed his partner escorting him to the door.

  Magnus threw Omar with one arm inside. “Magnus! Get in here!” Omar demanded.

  “It’s no use,” Natasha answered. “We cannot raise the veil. And the door will not close shut from here.” Her hands and Luna’s were coiled in magic, trying to press down the handles of the door, instead of holding it open. The door suppressed every try of magic they used.

  “Then what is he doing out there?” Omar sat in disbelief.

  Magnus laughed turning his head to them all. “Someone has to hold them off.” He shook his head. “Find the power, so the world can be saved eventually.”

  The women let go of the door, turning away from Magnus. Their expressions were hopeless as if trying to convince him had already passed. Omar hurried toward the door. His face met a rough plummet to a gray veil reappearing into the shadow shade it once held. His mind raced thinking back to what the shadow said to him.

  “Three lives. For power…” Omar reminded himself. “No. No. No. It isn’t worth it. I am not like the Spectors. I can’t sacrifice you or anyone for that.”

  Magnus didn’t turn his back on his friend's plea. He raised his shields prepared to fight off the hundreds of shadows marching towards him.

  “Magnus. Brother listen to me. I cannot be the one to do this. I am not the person who can save this world or protect it. Not without you. So please – “

  “Please do what? You can’t go on without me cause why? Face it, Omar. We decided after Darmin to save the world. That meant giving our lives for this.” Magnus turned and snapped back. “So when I put mine on the line for you to succeed, don’t beg me not to. I am my own man. So is Natasha and Luna. We heard what that shadow said. We know our fates. If it means we win the war, then I will die in battle!”

  Omar halted. He looked at Luna and Natasha for confirmation and got it. They were not whispers to him but to all four of them. Omar sat with that for a second, as rain started to pour on Magnus’s head. He watched as Magnus walked to the veil that shut him out there.

  “All of us here. These shadows. In truth, our stories are ones of many thousands. And this world will not weep if it is to meet its end.” Magnus scoffed. “Remember… no sacrifice too great.”

  Magnus dropped one last smile to Omar. “Magnus!” Omar called out as the stone door shut between them. The rain silently took over, even through the stone door, it could be heard. Not the shadows, nor Magnus. Just the rain falling outside.