Shade of Destiny (The Foreseeing) (2 page)

    
The night air had become foreboding. The trees which surrounded the beaten path seemed to be closing in on the men, branches writhing, bark black and weather-beaten. Owls stood motionless, watching them with their small black eyes. The cold chilled them through their soft leather jerkins and thin breeches, as though death was stroking their very bones. Through the arch of the trees Oprend Manor loomed, a large impressive building made completely of black marble. It seemed like a fortress and to the inhabitants it symbolised punishment and pain. The villagers said that it was black to match Lord Oprend’s heart.

    
William kept his head down and walked, trying not to think about what the young boy had said. Lost in thought he was startled when suddenly there was a blood curdling scream ahead of them. The moonlight and canopy gave little light and the men at the front of the troop ran forward to see who had screamed. Pushing through the throng William saw a young woman in a black cloak lying motionless on the ground. The men stared at her, unsure whether to help, the talk of magic and ghosts had spooked them, and on a full moon... things weren’t right. William slowly knelt down and shook the woman’s shoulder, the cloak was a thick wool and felt very expensive; she murmured and slowly came round, standing up with the help of William’s outreached hand.

    
“
Thank you kind sir,” the woman gushed, her head down and hood up. William murmured in acceptance and stepped back, waiting for the woman to reveal herself. She slowly lifted her head and her hood fell back. A few of the men gasped at her beauty, she had hair the colour of flames, with ivory skin and huge grey eyes which stared at them innocently. The wood suddenly became silent, time stood still in fear of the woman before them.

    
“
You’re alright then?” William asked gruffly, his voice echoed around them, breaking through the unnatural silence. “What happened?”

    
The woman smiled and the men beside William took a step back in awe of her beauty, “Oh it was silly I thought I saw a ghost. It is so very dark in these woods and I am so frightfully lost”

    
William frowned at the suspicious woman, William had never been a great lover of women, after his wife and daughter had died the only woman he had ever gotten close to was Elina, but his heart beat faster as the stranger ran her eyes over him sinisterly, and he could not decide whether the pulsing was appreciation of her beauty or fear.

    
“
What’s your name? I’ve never seen you before... ma’am.” William enquired. The effect she was having on the men around him was unnatural, and they did not seem to share William’s wariness. They looked more like ravenous dogs, seeing prey only feet away and finding themselves unable to claim it.
 
He had known these men all his life, they were sensible and placid – a lifetime of Lord Oprend’s rule had seen to that – and it only made this woman’s presence here more suspicious.

    
“
Oh I’m a traveller looking for an old friend, Elina Fillamenth. I got lost in these woods searching for her,” her voice cracked as though she was about to cry and her hand fluttered to her throat as though terrified. The men beside William moved as though to comfort her, but thought better of it and stood where they were.

    
“
You still haven’t told us your name, madam,” William asked. His voice was even and expression flat, a stark contrast to the almost fevered features of the men around him. The strange woman looked at William then and her smile vanished, her eyes began to burn the colour of her hair and her lip curled murderously.

    
“My name is Aerona, and I am looking for Elina Fillamenth. You will take me to her,” she ordered, her voice hard; it cut through William like a sword and his hand began to throb where Elina had touched it. The men beside William were shaking; it was as though she was attracting them to her, like moths to a flame. He felt a pull towards her but his logic would not accept her lull, she was searching for Elina and he had never seen her before in his long life. On the very night that Lord Oprend called them to arms... he would not be fooled.

    
The men around him did not share his determination, a young boy forgot all manners and ran up to the woman and knelt before her.
“
I can take you to her my Queen, if you follow me.” His smile was strained, matching the men around him.

    
Aerona smirked, and William felt it was as though she had full control of everything around her, like the world had stopped to let her speak. Her eyes slowly became grey once more and William frowned; convincing himself it was a trick of light. All of the men gathered around Aerona, touching her arms as though she was made of gold. They turned to walk off in the opposite direction; William went to follow, reluctantly, when he heard a deafening scream echo from Oprend Manor. No-one moved, but continued back towards the town obliviously. William was torn between following the suspicious woman and seeking out who had screamed. He owed no loyalty to Lord Oprend; it was his army had that left his family to die in the fire twenty summers ago... yet his thoughts were broken when a soft hand seemed to stroke his cheek, although he was clearly alone. It sent a shiver down his spine and as he raised his hand to touch his face a voice whispered in his ear. He felt a stranger’s breath tickle his ear, but no one was there.

    
“
There’s now a young baby in the Oprend Manor, are you really going to ignore that scream?”

    
William frowned but the voice was right, the person who had screamed needed his help so he continued cautiously down the path and stopped in front of Oprend Manor. It was a beautiful sight, even if the only time William had come here was to experience Lord Oprend’s fury. The grand stone steps were lined with golden lanterns which flickered as though alive. They cast an unnatural light on the steps as though men were walking up and down them. William took a deep breath, entranced by the haunting beauty, and began walking up the steps, the woods continued around the Manor as though protecting it from the world. He could just make out a beautiful garden and stables to the left of it. When he reached the final step he looked around, there were no guards. The place seemed totally deserted; there was no bustling to be heard from the servants, no horses whinnying, no stable boys mucking out the stable. William walked towards the huge double doors and knocked the golden handles. He waited. Nothing. He pushed the door and found it opened easily.

    
“
Hello?” he shouted, “Lord Oprend?” The silence seemed to envelop him. He looked around, too confused to take in the marble staircase, the gold plated banister, the tapestries and the diamond chandelier hanging above him. The Manor was cold, unnaturally so. William felt as though he was being watched, but nothing stirred in the semi darkness. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a door was open, he walked towards it and pushed it open. The only light was from five candles on the table; in the flickering glow William could see there was someone at the head of the table.

    
Even in the darkness William could see it was Lord Oprend. His frame unmistakable, pot bellied, balding and a symbol of pain and suffering,
“
Lord? Where is everyone?” He asked hesitantly.

    
Lord Oprend was motionless, his eyes glazed over. Hesitantly William looked around and noticed large black shapes on the floor. The army all snored gently, seemingly fallen where they had stood. William cautiously approached Lord Oprend, avoiding the bodies of the soldiers, and fighting back the urge to kick them all, and placed a hand on the Lord’s shoulder. William could feel the cold through his clothes; Lord Oprend’s body seemed literally frozen.

    
William let go and scoped the room once more before he spotted Lady Oprend in the corner of the room, almost invisible in the shadows. She was clutching a baby in her arms, her face frozen in a scream. William shuddered and walked over to them, placing a hand on the baby’s head. She was motionless but still warm; he quickly lifted her from her mother’s arms and held her gently, hoping his body heat would help her regain consciousness.

    
Suddenly there was a crash from the other side of the door. William froze; his heart was beating so fast he could have sworn he heard it. The sound of footsteps coming down the marble staircase resounded around the room. William looked around him, there were no weapons. He picked up a candle from the table, holding the girl with the other arm and walked towards the door, the golden light pouring onto the wood. He peered through the crack; there was someone on the other side, pacing, dragging something heavy as they walked. William squinted and saw that it was a mace, a metal spiked head forced onto a long metal shaft; it was so sharp it scratched the marble floor as the person paced back and forth. William’s mind raced; there was nothing he could defend himself and the baby with, the mace could smash his skull to pieces with one swing.

    
“
What do we have here?”

    
William froze, dropping the candle to the ground. Someone was behind him. He had not seen another person in the room, both the Lord and Lady were frozen solid and the army slept on, obliviously. William slowly turned around and was faced with the most terrifying sight he had ever seen. Something that had once been human, its face was decaying, skin hung from its cheeks exposing its yellow, broken teeth. Clumps of hair grew on its decomposing scalp and the remains of clothes clung to its skeletal frame. The creature stepped forward and stood on the flickering candle, extinguishing the flame, wisps of smoke circled in the air and the space between William and the creature was thrown into darkness.

    
“
MALICE!” The thing screamed; its voice shrill. William shivered as it cut right through his heart, like the sound of someone’s last cry for help. The creature outside stopped pacing and slowly walked towards the door. William recoiled at the sight of it; it too was like the creature standing near him, its face black and decaying. The second creature sneered.

    
“
Looks like we got a Liver, Odium,” Malice said sardonically. He was swinging the mace around, hitting it against one hand in an unconcealed, threatening manner. The spikes went through his flesh, but it did not bleed.

    
“
That we have Malice,” the first creature, Odium, agreed, slinging his own mace over one shoulder, “Aerona said there would be no others.”

    
Malice shrugged and licked his lips, flakes of skin floating to the floor.

    
“
What to do with him?” Odium pondered, his eyes darted around the room, swivelling in his sockets. Malice spat on his mace and rubbed it clean with his forearm; the skin came away from his bone and fell to the floor.

    
“
I say we kill him and get it over with, we’re not allowed to touch that cretin over there.” Odium indicated to Lord Oprend with his thumb.

    
“
I don’t know Odium; we rarely get Livers which Aerona ain’t given us. She didn’t mention anything about him, means we can kill him how we want.” Malice looked at William, and noticed the baby in his arms, “Oh and that pretty thing too, a shame really, but orders are orders, no survivors... no more than a snack anyway.”

    
Odium grinned and lifted his mace up, William closed his eyes, his heart was pounding so fast he wondered how it could possibly still be beating. There was a whoosh of air and the crash of wood splintering beside William’s head and he opened his eyes. Odium was inches from his face, the mace in the wall next to William’s head, the smell of rotting flesh wafted from the creature’s mouth and William suppressed the urge to gag.

    
“
Don’t scare him too much Odium, makes the meat tough,” Malice said loftily picking at the dirt from under his nail, which subsequently also fell to the floor.