Shadows of Men (The Watchers Book 1) (29 page)

Mayvard and Merek followed closely behind as she began to make her way through the deserted streets of Tyos.  The clouds still darkened the skies but the early morning glow that shone through gave them enough light to see clearly.

As they ventured deeper and deeper into the upper city, they began to see a disturbing sight- blood streaked snow where bodies had lain, barely covered by the newly falling snow, discarded weapons and the footprints of hundreds, running through the streets in a panic.  The one thing they could not see, however, was the bodies. 

As they continued on, Rhada could hear the faint sound of Merek’s panicked breathing from behind.  She stopped, turned and saw that his face, which had been so proud a few moments ago, was now pale and rigid.  His eyes were wide as he stared down at the scene at his feet.

“Mayvard,” Rhada began and both the men stopped, “take Merek back to the lodge.  He should not have to see this.”

“No!”  Merek protested.  “I am the Protector here!  I wish to help.  It is my duty to search for survivors.”  Rhada gave Mayvard a sideways glance and she saw in his face that he was thinking the same thing she was- there were no survivors.

The first building they entered showed no sign of any inhabitants or struggles.  The second building looked as though a massacre had ensued between its walls.  Furniture was strewn across the room and turned upside down, blood splatters littered the walls and floors and when Rhada stooped down to examine them she noticed something else disturbing- claw marks.  They were all over the floor, running throughout the length of the room.  Those who were still alive had been dragged out. 

Suddenly, Rhada heard a loud
clank
from behind and she spun quickly around and unsheathed Bloodbinder in one, solid movement.  She found Merek kneeling on the ground with a look of sheer horror on his face.  He had carelessly dropped his sword and it lay next to him.  He reached a hand up and ran his fingers along the line of scratches that littered the floor.

Then he wailed- louder than any wail of pain and torment Rhada had ever heard.  She re-sheathed Bloodbinder and stood before him.  “You must not make such noise!”  She said but he could not hear her over the sound of his own cries.  Rhada gave Mayvard a nod and he stooped down, grabbed Merek by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet.

“Come now.  Let us take you back.”  Merek shook his head but Rhada would not change her mind.

“That is an order.”  She said flatly and she lifted his sword off the ground and shoved it back into his hands. 

Once outside again, Mayvard kept his hands on Merek’s shoulders and guided him back towards the lodge.  When Rhada did not follow, he turned and looked to her with confusion.

“I am moving on.”  She told him.  “I must go down to the Blood Sea and see what I can find there.”

“If you just wait a moment…”  Mayvard began but Rhada shook her head.

“Get Merek back to safety and meet me down there.”  And before he could respond, Rhada turned and headed down the road towards the lower faction of Tyos
.
HH

Chapter 23

R
hada stood motionless on the road between the upper and lower factions.  In her hand was Bloodbinder, unsheathed and ready to attack at any given moment.  Her breathing was heavy and her eyes narrowed as she looked at the sight before her.

              As the road descended, the clouds around her had begun to thicken and all she could think of was the fog that had surrounded them in the swamp.  This fog carried with it the same eerie coldness and silence- no life could survive where the fog idled. 

              She had stopped suddenly when she noticed it.  It stretched before her as an ocean of cloud shrouding the city below from her view.  It was as though from the heat of the flames, the sea had evaporated into a great cloud but the cloud did not float.  Instead, it hovered over the ground like a blanket, covering everything around it in darkness. 

              Rhada knew she had to enter the fog.  She knew all the answers to her questions lie within that abyss of uncertainty.  It was her duty to enter.  If she did not, then no one would. 
So why then
, she wondered,
do my feet refuse to move
?  She looked down to Bloodbinder and shuddered.  It had begun to buzz lightly again in her hand, telling her to be on her guard.  When she looked back up, all she could see was the fog that lay before her and her breath escaping her lips in short, rapid puffs. 

              Then slowly, as if by a will all of its own, her foot took a fearful step forward.  Then she took another and another and before she knew it, she was surrounded by the chill of the fog. 

              Rhada stood for a moment at the bottom of the hill and allowed her eyes to adjust to the new darkness that surrounded her.  As she stood, she listened for any sound but still her ears were filled with silence.  She knew the shiver that ran up her spine then was not from the cold.

              After a moment of gathering her courage, she continued walking through the deserted streets of Tyos.  Small cottages and shops began to come into view and she knew she was on the outskirts of the lower-faction.  She had expected the buildings to grow taller the farther into the city she traveled but as she moved deeper into Tyos, the destruction of the wave became more prevalent.  There were no buildings that remained standing.  Everything had been reduced to rubble at her feet- wood, stones, and brick, anything a home could be made from.  There were times when she was forced to climb over the rubble to continue on.  As she went, she did not even bother to look for survivors.  It was obvious to her that she would find none. 

              As her feet carried her on, her eyes darted all around, making certain that nothing could catch her unaware.  She walked swiftly through the deserted city until suddenly, her eye caught a glimpse of something and she stopped. 

              It moved from behind a pile of rubble.  Its skin was pale and looked as though it would fall right off the bones.  Its eyes were dull but full of life where there should not be any.  The clothes that hung off its ragged body were torn and Rhada could see where they had been burned on one side.  The hair and skin had also been burned, revealing half of a skull. 

              The two of them stood and stared at each other for a moment without moving.  Rhada found she could not take her eyes off the shadow walker that stood before her.  It was the first time in her long life that she had encountered one and she was frozen in fascination.

They had been named shadow walkers long ago by the first armies that fought them.  When a person died, their soul was carried to the Shadow Realm where they would be held prisoner.  Somehow, Amag’mar was able to return the soul to the flesh.  When the soul was returned to the body, it was returned with a sour appetite for vengeance.  They lashed out at anything and everything around them.  Amag’mar had created a legion of horrifying warriors who wanted nothing more than the world around them to suffer the same fate they had suffered.  Men were forced to watch their loved ones die and when they returned, they were forced to kill them all over again.  And the more people Amag’mar’s legion killed, the stronger his army grew.

The Dark War had occurred hundreds of years ago and if Rhada had not been standing in the presence of a shadow walker then, staring into its lifeless but wondering eyes, she would not have believed that such a thing would be possible.

              She took in a slow and deep breath.  She stepped forward once, then again and held up Bloodbinder.  The shadow walker, who was once a man, looked to the sword then smiled evilly at her.

              “You think that sword will save you?”  He asked with a raspy, forced voice.  It was a voice like a whisper- one that should not have been heard but traveled through the realm of the dead to be heard by mortal ears.  It made Rhada shudder but she pressed forward nonetheless.

              “Why do you not come closer and we shall find out?”  She replied mockingly.  She told herself not to hate him- that judging by his tattered clothing he was a merchant in life- a family man, no doubt.  She had to remind herself that this was not him- it was his shadow and she would be doing him a favor to end his suffering. 

              “I have been to the depths and back.”  He continued speaking but did not move forward.  “I have seen what awaits you there.”  His smile remained as Rhada stepped right up to him.  She placed the tip of her blade to his chest and glowered into his dull yet seeing eyes.  He smelled of death and sea water and ash.  The smell protruded her nostrils and stung her eyes.  She tried her best to ignore it as she stared at him.

              “Aren’t you going to fight?”  She asked, knowing the shadow walkers needed no weapons to kill.

              His smile grew with the question and he lifted a finger and pointed to her before speaking.  “Put an end to me, it does not matter, for he has seen now.” 

              With those words, Bloodbinder began to ring in her ears and she cringed at the sound of it.  Then the shadow walker tilted his head back and laughed.  It was a low and guttural but piercing laugh.  It rang louder in her ears than the sword and she stepped back a few paces, away from him.

              “What do you mean by that?”  She asked angrily.  He did not answer but kept laughing loudly and Rhada knew that if she allowed him to continue, he would attract any other shadow walkers that were nearby.  She raised Bloodbinder with both hands, pulled the blade over her shoulder and swung with all her strength.  The shadow walker’s skin was rubbery and dry, making it easier for Bloodbinder to slide through.  His head flew from his shoulders and landed at her feet with a sickening thud.  Then his body went limp and fell to the ground in a heap.

              Rhada looked down to the severed head at her feet and took a few steps away from it.  She stared into his eyes and saw they looked the same as before-dead, but now they were unseeing.  She looked to Bloodbinder and saw there was no blood dripping from its tip.  The shadow walker’s blood had dried up long ago.

              She stood silently for a few moments, pondering the meaning of his words when suddenly she heard footsteps behind her.  Rhada spun, raising Bloodbinder in defense but lowered it when she saw Mayvard’s face.  He stopped and looked down to the severed head at her feet and shuddered. 

              “I wish that you had waited for me.”  He said, looking back up to her with a frown.

              “There was only one.  It was nothing I could not handle on my own.”  She turned and began to walk away when Mayvard grasped her arm, stopping her in her tracks. 

              Rhada spun back around angrily, ready to reprimand him for touching her but when she saw a look of genuine worry on his face, she softened and silently scolded herself. 
This man cares for you!  He may be the only person in this world who does.  Be kind to him!

              “We do not know what we are up against here, not yet.  I think it would be wise for us to stay together.  No one should wander off alone.  Not even you.”  Rhada knew that Mayvard was right.  Her decision to run off was careless and could have easily gotten her killed.  She nodded to him and he smiled in return.

              “I promise.”  She said, re-sheathing Bloodbinder.  “I will not go anywhere without you.”

              “Thank you.”  Mayvard whispered and together, they continued on down the road toward the Blood Sea.

              When they reached what was supposed to be the water’s edge, they both stood in wonderment and stared at the sight before them.  A wooden dock stretched out at their feet but there was no water surrounding it.  It was raised up into the air like a bridge and below, only sand and stone.  A few ships that had been tethered to the dock were now lying on their sides on the shoreline.  Rubble and debris littered the ground where they had burst from the force of being thrust against the shore.  And all around them the fog seemed to thicken.  Rhada could feel the chill of it run up the length of her arms and she saw Mayvard from the corner of her eye wrap his arms in his hands, trying to rub away the cold. 

              Rhada began to walk forward slowly, looking down at the edges of the dock as she went.  When she reached the end of the dock, she stopped and stared out at what used to be the ocean.  She could not see very far ahead of her but knew that the fog stretched on for miles and miles.  She also knew that it concealed something from her eyesight, something that sat in waiting and she suddenly got the sick feeling that whatever it was could see her- that she stood staring at it unknowingly and it stared back.  She felt her heart begin to thud harshly against her chest and she was about to take a step back when she heard something from below.  The sound of raspy breath from beneath her feet reached her ears and she looked down to the wood planks she stood on.  She listened for a moment, waiting for the sound to stop but when it did not, she turned to Mayvard and pointed to her feet.  He nodded in understanding, unsheathed Bel’dak and walked around the dock, peering underneath as he went.  Rhada stepped to the edge and waited for Mayvard to give her a signal.  She unsheathed Bloodbinder and when Mayvard waved to her, she jumped.

              “No!  Please!”  The man cried.  He tried to scramble from his hiding place underneath the dock but Rhada grabbed the cuff of his shirt and pulled him out.  She shoved him forward, causing him to fall and held Bloodbinder at the ready, in case he tried to strike back but the man did not move.  He sat with his hands raised over his face and trembled.  Rhada suddenly realized that this man was not a shadow walker and she lowered her blade.

              “It is alright, we won’t hurt you.”  She said and she re-sheathed Bloodbinder to show him that she meant it.  Mayvard did the same then helped him back to his feet.  When he lowered his hands, Rhada instantly recognized Thurdan Malum and she stepped closer to him and reached a hand out to console the frightened Sorcerer.  He jumped away from her grasp, however and shook with fright.

              “Do not touch me!”  He shouted and he turned to run.  Rhada and Mayvard gave chase, farther and farther into the fog until it was all they could see around them.  Then Mayvard leapt forward and grasped Thurdan by the collar, pulling him off his feet.  He screamed and thrashed but Mayvard held tightly to him and when Rhada stepped in front of him to ask why he ran, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground unconscious.