Chapter Two
I could feel Depression getting closer, following the encryption
in my homing beacon. I stood quickly, my plate falling in my haste,
“Depression.”
The werewolf shifted back to his wolf form and stood, growling
towards the trees.
“Easy Paul,” KJ cautioned as he and his people stood, weapons
drawn.
I motioned for them to stand down as KJ popped up at my
side.
“Tell your friend to show himself or I will tell Imortillis to
start detonating bombs,” He hissed in my ear.
I ignored KJ for a moment then spoke to Depression through my
thoughts, Come on out. To my immense
relief he began to obey.
Depression walked into the clearing and stopped between KJ and
me.
He looked around at KJ’s people sneering until he saw Kari, then
his sneer faltered.
“Come little sister. The Clan is anxious to have you
home.”
KJ pushed past Depression and grabbed at my arm saying, “She
isn’t going anywhere. My Commander will need to speak to her. She may return to
her home after he has gotten all of the information he
needs.”
Depression blocked KJ’s arm and pushed him away from me
growling, “She isn’t going anywhere.”
The two of them stood across from each other with me behind
Depression. His people stepped forward but KJ held up one hand telling them to
stop.
“She knows information that we need. I have to know about the
Night Elves so I can destroy them.”
Depression hardened his face as KJ continued to try to reason
with him. That’s when the shouting match
began.
In the midst of the verbal warfare I slipped out of the clearing
and headed north at an easy run. After about 10 miles I slowed to a stop and
knelt down at the base of a tree. Reaching between two roots I pulled out a pack
and the rest of my weapons.
Suddenly I heard the sound of many male voices. Moving slowly I
approached the edge of the Fringe. I knelt in a stand of bushes and peered
through the branches.
A group of Night Elf warriors were speaking to a legion of human
soldiers.
“What makes you think we will let your boy go?” the Night Elf
captain said with a sneer.
“We brought the ransom for him. your King said that KJ would be
released to us when we brought the money,” came the
reply.
“We need our Commander back,” a young soldier said
pleadingly.
“Oh he’s your Commander is he? Well. In that case the ransom is
now double what it was before,” the Night Elf captain said
smugly.
KJ’s men drew their weapons grim faced as the Night Elves all
laughed roughly.
Sensing a fight my body tensed and my Midnight sister pushed to
the forefront of my mind. I hesitated for a moment then gave into the change.
Standing quietly I made my way out of the bushes and into the
fight.
The Night Elves immediately froze when they saw me, their faces
full of horror and fear. Seeing their reaction KJ’s forces turned to face me as
I glided towards them.
“What are you?” the Captain asked as his face went white with
fear.
I stared at him for a moment then, as he started to shift with
discomfort, turned to the young soldier who had spoken earlier. I entered his
mind and spoke using his voice and mouth.
“I am one who can take you to
KJ.”
The Night Elves all dropped their weapons in fear and my
mouthpiece told KJ’s men to bind them.
Then I turned and they all followed me leading the new
prisoners.
******
The boy Allacia had named Depression refused to give into my request.
Finally he said that I should ask Allacia what she wanted to
do.
I walked around Depression to find Allacia gone. I whirled
around to face him, my emotions livid.
“WHERE IS SHE?” I yelled.
Paul started growling as the trees as the bushes on the northern
edge of the clearing started to shake. My hand tightened on my blade as a figure
stepped out. It was a Night Elf but not a Night Elf. I relaxed again when I saw
who was following the figure, it was a captain of one of the legions I
commanded.
“Commander Lamphere! I thought at first the creature was lying
to us when it said it knew how to find you,” he exclaimed in
relief.
I smiled at him then my smile widened as I saw the chain of
Night Elves come from the trees all bound. A plan slowly began to take form in
my mind.
“Captain. Tie this boy to the end of the line,” I ordered
gesturing at Depression.
“Yes Sir,” the man replied eagerly as he moved forward to grab
Depression.
The creature reached out and arm stopping the Captain in his
tracks then Hawk stepped forward.
“Why do you tie him with these criminals?” he asked with a
slightly altered voice,“Allacia will not be tricked that easily. The boy goes
with me.”
The Nightmare within me stirred slightly. It
is using Hawk to speak.
“Fine,”I said softly, “The boy goes with you. But I still need
to speak with Allacia.”
The creature nodded once then started to fade out of
existence.
“Wait!”my Captain cried, “How do we get out of
here?”
“My mouthpiece will know the
way.”
Then the creature and Depression were
gone.
******
“My mouth piece will know the way,”I said through the boy then Depression
and I vanished.
Depression nodded his thanks as my Midnight sister faced back into the
shadows of my mind and I became Allacia once
again.
“He won’t give up you know,”Depression said watching me, “He was adamant
about questioning you.”
I looked at him, “I know.”
My brother shrugged then turned away, “Get a fire started and find some
shelter. I’ll go secure our territory.”
He left me standing there with his anger tinting the air around me. I
looked down, Everything I do just makes
him angry.
Closing my eyes I located the boy I had used to speak. I relaxed as I saw
him leading the soldiers out of the Fringe. Suddenly I felt something grabbing
at me, KJ… I immediately pulled back
into myself and quickly left in search of wood and
shelter.
A few miles away I smelled smoke, then dropping to a crouch I made my way
forward silently. Peering around a tree I saw a girl lifting her hands then
letting them drop then lifting them again. As her hands moved so did the fire.
It grew brighter as she lifted them and dimmer as she dropped
them.
My Midnight sister wanted to leave; there was someone or
something here that was upsetting her. As silently as I had come I slipped back
into the trees.
Around two hours later I had finished building three platforms
up in one of the trees, one for me to sleep on, one for Depression to sleep on,
and a larger one as a common area.
I shifted over to the form of my Midnight sister and began
speaking words to allow me to build a fire without burning the tree or the
platform. After I finished I waited, Depression should be here soon. Then he
will tell me what a horrible job I did. Then he will berate me for being
captured in the first place…
I froze, my musings interrupted. Every sense was on alert as I
picked up the disturbances created by someone coming towards my
shelter.
My Midnight sister snarled in my mind as I crouched at the edge
of the platform sword drawn. A few minutes later a boy or a man or some form of
masculine creature walked under me
unwittingly.
I jumped down on top of him, sword poised to kill as I drove my
thin blade towards the base of his neck. He threw me off and pinned my arms
above my head with one hand. His other hand and his eyes started to glow and he
lowered his hand till it was hovering over my
heart.
I flinched and closed my eyes as a pain more excruciating than
anything I had ever experienced ran through my entire being. As I sand
gratefully into darkness I fought to keep my Midnight sister out of the
forefront of my mind. I knew my time was up, I was going to die. The void opened
up in front of my eyes and my Midnight sister lost her control over my
mind.
Just as I let go I heard a soft gasp and the pain stopped. Then
there was nothing.
******
I walked into Em’s camp. She is close… I know I felt her presence as
we left the Fringe as she called it. Why do I feel the strong need to hear her
voice again?
I sat next to Em’s fire and looked at her, “Everything been
quiet?”
“Yep. Felt something weird about an hour ago but then it left
and you came so,” she shrugged and went back to using her
power.
I shook my head and muttered, “Fire Faeries.”
She chuckled as I stood and let the Nightmare inside of me take
over. I lifted my face towards the heavens and smelled the
air.
Allacia… She has been here. Recently.
I followed here scent through the trees. She was close and my
Nightmare side shivered. The scent went on for about an hour into the forest
before I sensed someone casting a spell. Then a second scent came wafting
through the trees.The creature from before.
I moved slowly, tracking the scent to its source. As I passed
under a tree I sensed a change in the air
currents.
The next thing I knew I was laying on my stomach with the
creature standing over me. I sensed something moving towards me rapidly from
above before I reached out and grabbed its ankle the
twisted.
As soon as it was on its back and I had pinned its arms above
its head I reached down and my hand started to glow as it hovered above the
creature’s heart.
I pulled on its soul string, its life thread, trying to get it
to bend to my will. It flinched and closed its eyes as my pulling became more
insistent.So you can feel can you creature?
The Nightmare part of my mind grew confused suddenly as I felt
its life force draining away from it. Then all of the resistance was gone and
the creature’s scent was replaced with Allacia’s. I gasped softly as I looked up
to see Allacia lying in the creatures place. My breath caught in my throat as I
cut off my power and reached down with a shaky hand to feel for a pulse. Her
heartbeat was faint and I sighed with relief.She is still alive… Her heartbeat is weak… But she will live…
I stood then picked her up gently, marveling at how little she
weighed, then took her back to the camp. I cut the thirty minute trip in half
and entered the camp at an easy run.
I then slowed to a walk and lay her down next to the fire.
Watching her I stepped back, hoping the energy I transferred to her o the way
there would help.
Em stood and walked around the fire, “Good lord Nightmare! What
did you do to her?!”
I bowed my head in shame as Em walked back over to her side of
the fire.
She looked at me over the flames, “What did you so to
her?”
Still looking down I stepped back over to Allacia then knelt
waiting.
I could feel Depression getting closer, following the encryption
in my homing beacon. I stood quickly, my plate falling in my haste,
“Depression.”
The werewolf shifted back to his wolf form and stood, growling
towards the trees.
“Easy Paul,” KJ cautioned as he and his people stood, weapons
drawn.
I motioned for them to stand down as KJ popped up at my
side.
“Tell your friend to show himself or I will tell Imortillis to
start detonating bombs,” He hissed in my ear.
I ignored KJ for a moment then spoke to Depression through my
thoughts, Come on out. To my immense
relief he began to obey.
Depression walked into the clearing and stopped between KJ and
me.
He looked around at KJ’s people sneering until he saw Kari, then
his sneer faltered.
“Come little sister. The Clan is anxious to have you
home.”
KJ pushed past Depression and grabbed at my arm saying, “She
isn’t going anywhere. My Commander will need to speak to her. She may return to
her home after he has gotten all of the information he
needs.”
Depression blocked KJ’s arm and pushed him away from me
growling, “She isn’t going anywhere.”
The two of them stood across from each other with me behind
Depression. His people stepped forward but KJ held up one hand telling them to
stop.
“She knows information that we need. I have to know about the
Night Elves so I can destroy them.”
Depression hardened his face as KJ continued to try to reason
with him. That’s when the shouting match
began.
In the midst of the verbal warfare I slipped out of the clearing
and headed north at an easy run. After about 10 miles I slowed to a stop and
knelt down at the base of a tree. Reaching between two roots I pulled out a pack
and the rest of my weapons.
Suddenly I heard the sound of many male voices. Moving slowly I
approached the edge of the Fringe. I knelt in a stand of bushes and peered
through the branches.
A group of Night Elf warriors were speaking to a legion of human
soldiers.
“What makes you think we will let your boy go?” the Night Elf
captain said with a sneer.
“We brought the ransom for him. your King said that KJ would be
released to us when we brought the money,” came the
reply.
“We need our Commander back,” a young soldier said
pleadingly.
“Oh he’s your Commander is he? Well. In that case the ransom is
now double what it was before,” the Night Elf captain said
smugly.
KJ’s men drew their weapons grim faced as the Night Elves all
laughed roughly.
Sensing a fight my body tensed and my Midnight sister pushed to
the forefront of my mind. I hesitated for a moment then gave into the change.
Standing quietly I made my way out of the bushes and into the
fight.
The Night Elves immediately froze when they saw me, their faces
full of horror and fear. Seeing their reaction KJ’s forces turned to face me as
I glided towards them.
“What are you?” the Captain asked as his face went white with
fear.
I stared at him for a moment then, as he started to shift with
discomfort, turned to the young soldier who had spoken earlier. I entered his
mind and spoke using his voice and mouth.
“I am one who can take you to
KJ.”
The Night Elves all dropped their weapons in fear and my
mouthpiece told KJ’s men to bind them.
Then I turned and they all followed me leading the new
prisoners.
******
The boy Allacia had named Depression refused to give into my request.
Finally he said that I should ask Allacia what she wanted to
do.
I walked around Depression to find Allacia gone. I whirled
around to face him, my emotions livid.
“WHERE IS SHE?” I yelled.
Paul started growling as the trees as the bushes on the northern
edge of the clearing started to shake. My hand tightened on my blade as a figure
stepped out. It was a Night Elf but not a Night Elf. I relaxed again when I saw
who was following the figure, it was a captain of one of the legions I
commanded.
“Commander Lamphere! I thought at first the creature was lying
to us when it said it knew how to find you,” he exclaimed in
relief.
I smiled at him then my smile widened as I saw the chain of
Night Elves come from the trees all bound. A plan slowly began to take form in
my mind.
“Captain. Tie this boy to the end of the line,” I ordered
gesturing at Depression.
“Yes Sir,” the man replied eagerly as he moved forward to grab
Depression.
The creature reached out and arm stopping the Captain in his
tracks then Hawk stepped forward.
“Why do you tie him with these criminals?” he asked with a
slightly altered voice,“Allacia will not be tricked that easily. The boy goes
with me.”
The Nightmare within me stirred slightly. It
is using Hawk to speak.
“Fine,”I said softly, “The boy goes with you. But I still need
to speak with Allacia.”
The creature nodded once then started to fade out of
existence.
“Wait!”my Captain cried, “How do we get out of
here?”
“My mouthpiece will know the
way.”
Then the creature and Depression were
gone.
******
“My mouth piece will know the way,”I said through the boy then Depression
and I vanished.
Depression nodded his thanks as my Midnight sister faced back into the
shadows of my mind and I became Allacia once
again.
“He won’t give up you know,”Depression said watching me, “He was adamant
about questioning you.”
I looked at him, “I know.”
My brother shrugged then turned away, “Get a fire started and find some
shelter. I’ll go secure our territory.”
He left me standing there with his anger tinting the air around me. I
looked down, Everything I do just makes
him angry.
Closing my eyes I located the boy I had used to speak. I relaxed as I saw
him leading the soldiers out of the Fringe. Suddenly I felt something grabbing
at me, KJ… I immediately pulled back
into myself and quickly left in search of wood and
shelter.
A few miles away I smelled smoke, then dropping to a crouch I made my way
forward silently. Peering around a tree I saw a girl lifting her hands then
letting them drop then lifting them again. As her hands moved so did the fire.
It grew brighter as she lifted them and dimmer as she dropped
them.
My Midnight sister wanted to leave; there was someone or
something here that was upsetting her. As silently as I had come I slipped back
into the trees.
Around two hours later I had finished building three platforms
up in one of the trees, one for me to sleep on, one for Depression to sleep on,
and a larger one as a common area.
I shifted over to the form of my Midnight sister and began
speaking words to allow me to build a fire without burning the tree or the
platform. After I finished I waited, Depression should be here soon. Then he
will tell me what a horrible job I did. Then he will berate me for being
captured in the first place…
I froze, my musings interrupted. Every sense was on alert as I
picked up the disturbances created by someone coming towards my
shelter.
My Midnight sister snarled in my mind as I crouched at the edge
of the platform sword drawn. A few minutes later a boy or a man or some form of
masculine creature walked under me
unwittingly.
I jumped down on top of him, sword poised to kill as I drove my
thin blade towards the base of his neck. He threw me off and pinned my arms
above my head with one hand. His other hand and his eyes started to glow and he
lowered his hand till it was hovering over my
heart.
I flinched and closed my eyes as a pain more excruciating than
anything I had ever experienced ran through my entire being. As I sand
gratefully into darkness I fought to keep my Midnight sister out of the
forefront of my mind. I knew my time was up, I was going to die. The void opened
up in front of my eyes and my Midnight sister lost her control over my
mind.
Just as I let go I heard a soft gasp and the pain stopped. Then
there was nothing.
******
I walked into Em’s camp. She is close… I know I felt her presence as
we left the Fringe as she called it. Why do I feel the strong need to hear her
voice again?
I sat next to Em’s fire and looked at her, “Everything been
quiet?”
“Yep. Felt something weird about an hour ago but then it left
and you came so,” she shrugged and went back to using her
power.
I shook my head and muttered, “Fire Faeries.”
She chuckled as I stood and let the Nightmare inside of me take
over. I lifted my face towards the heavens and smelled the
air.
Allacia… She has been here. Recently.
I followed here scent through the trees. She was close and my
Nightmare side shivered. The scent went on for about an hour into the forest
before I sensed someone casting a spell. Then a second scent came wafting
through the trees.The creature from before.
I moved slowly, tracking the scent to its source. As I passed
under a tree I sensed a change in the air
currents.
The next thing I knew I was laying on my stomach with the
creature standing over me. I sensed something moving towards me rapidly from
above before I reached out and grabbed its ankle the
twisted.
As soon as it was on its back and I had pinned its arms above
its head I reached down and my hand started to glow as it hovered above the
creature’s heart.
I pulled on its soul string, its life thread, trying to get it
to bend to my will. It flinched and closed its eyes as my pulling became more
insistent.So you can feel can you creature?
The Nightmare part of my mind grew confused suddenly as I felt
its life force draining away from it. Then all of the resistance was gone and
the creature’s scent was replaced with Allacia’s. I gasped softly as I looked up
to see Allacia lying in the creatures place. My breath caught in my throat as I
cut off my power and reached down with a shaky hand to feel for a pulse. Her
heartbeat was faint and I sighed with relief.She is still alive… Her heartbeat is weak… But she will live…
I stood then picked her up gently, marveling at how little she
weighed, then took her back to the camp. I cut the thirty minute trip in half
and entered the camp at an easy run.
I then slowed to a walk and lay her down next to the fire.
Watching her I stepped back, hoping the energy I transferred to her o the way
there would help.
Em stood and walked around the fire, “Good lord Nightmare! What
did you do to her?!”
I bowed my head in shame as Em walked back over to her side of
the fire.
She looked at me over the flames, “What did you so to
her?”
Still looking down I stepped back over to Allacia then knelt
waiting.