Shadows of Men (The Watchers Book 1) (37 page)

              Another scream filled his ears and it came from the lobby at the base of the stairs.

             
Myra! 
He spun quickly and began running down the stairwell but in his haste, his right foot caught on his left foot and he cried out as he fell forward.  He hit the bottom stair hard, slamming his head into the solid ground of the lobby floor.

              He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain that crippled his body and he moaned audibly.  Then, soft hands were on him, pulling him up and trying to get him on his feet.

              “Merek!  Merek!  Wake up!”  The panicked voice of Myra was calling to him. 

              Merek slowly opened his eyes and looked to the frightened girl with weariness.  He no longer felt the strength to fight and wished that he could lie upon the cold floor forever. 

              “They are coming to kill us!”  Myra shouted and she pointed towards the hallway he had found Myra in.

              He lifted his head only slightly but it was enough to see that all the dead had risen and were seeking vengeance.  Merek counted them and was disappointed to discover that his previous calculations had been wrong.  Instead of eleven, there were fifteen and they were making their way towards Myra and him. 

              The sound of footsteps creaking on the stairs turned his attention back the way he had come and he saw the shadow walkers of the second floor beginning to descend. 

              Merek was on his feet before he even knew what was happening.  He had lost his sword in the fall but had no time to search for the blade.  He grabbed Myra by the hand and rushed to the front door, hoping to escape before they were swallowed up by the shadows but when he opened the door, he quickly shut it and pulled Myra back.  Outside, a multitude of shadows had emerged from the darkness.  Hundreds of them stood around the door in wait, as though they had been expecting Merek to try and flee. 

              They were surrounded- shadows in front of them and behind.  He did the only other thing he could think of; he raced towards the cellar stairs and led Myra into the dark abyss.  Once inside the small storage chamber, Merek slammed the heavy wooden doors shut and locked them, knowing that if the shadows were strong enough to penetrate through, they had no hope of escaping. 

              He could hear them on the other side.  They approached the door and began scratching and clawing at the wood.  Some of them tried hitting the doors but they soon realized they could not break through and the noises stopped.

              The pitch blackness that surrounded them felt heavy and weighed down upon their shoulders like a boulder.  Merek turned around twice, attempting to scan their surroundings but he could not even see his own hand in front of his face through the darkness.

              He could feel Myra next to him, trembling either from cold or fright or both.  She had wrapped her hands tightly around his arm and refused to let go. 

              “What are we going to do now?”  She asked with a shaky voice. 

              “We wait for daylight.  There is a small window on the other side of this room that I believe we will be able to climb through.  But in this dark night, I do not wish to attempt such a thing.”

              Exhaustion finally took hold of Merek and he felt his legs slipping out from underneath him.  He hunkered down and Myra did the same.  They sat next to each other against the cold wall and Myra leaned her head upon Merek’s shoulder and they did not stir whilst they waited out the night.

***

              The window was a foot too high for them to climb through.  Merek had turned over a box of rotting potatoes and helped Myra climb up.  She peered through the thick glass and gazed at the pre-dawn world outside.

              “I see nothing.”  She said.  She looked down to Merek with hopeful eyes.

             
Now is our only chance.  
Merek stepped up to the box as Myra stepped down and gazed at the glass with determination.  In his right hand he held a butcher’s ax that he had been lucky enough to find as soon as sunlight reached their eyes.  He raised the ax above his head and brought it down upon the glass with all his strength.  The window shattered into hundreds of pieces that flew in all directions.  Merek raised his arms to his face, shielding it from the shards.  Then he reached up with the ax and broke off a few straggling pieces that held onto the frame.

              “You first.”  He said to Myra and she nodded and stepped onto the box.  She reached up and put her arms through the broken window first then began pulling herself through with exhausted grunts.  Merek helped push her through to the outside world and soon she was gone from his view. 

              Merek reached up the same way Myra had and placed his arms through the window frame.  He grasped the frame tightly and pulled himself up, hoping that he would be able to fit.  He had to squeeze and shimmy but after several moments of struggling, he finally pulled himself free of the window and dragged his body through the snow.

              He lie on his stomach for a moment, trying to catch his breath- the simple task of climbing through a window had exhausted what little energy he had left. 

              “Are you well?”  Myra asked with concern.  She leaned down next to him and placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder.

              “I just need a moment.”  He told her and she let him be.

              When finally he stood, she pointed towards the east with a smile.  “I see the road to Hely.  Let us run for it!”

              Merek took in a deep breath.  The thought of running seemed impossible in that moment but with the knowledge that his life depended on it, he found new strength within him.  He grasped Myra’s hand in his and began trotting towards the road that would lead them to Hely and safety. 

              Thick fog emerged through the trees and wrapped itself around their legs.  Myra gasped in fear but Merek pulled tightly on her arm and quickened their pace. 

             
We cannot stop now.  We are so close. 
He was determined to make it out of the ruined city alive. 
I have survived this long.  It would be such a waste if I should perish now.

              His hopes were quickly dashed, however when from out of the fog, a figure of a man appeared, blocking their path.  Merek and Myra both stopped their attempt to escape at the same moment and stood frozen, gazing upon the apparition that had just appeared before them.

              He was a tall man, shrouded in darkness and though most of his features were blocked from their vision by the fog, two glowing red eyes were clearly visible.

              Merek suddenly felt a chill surround him.  The air grew heavy with the cold and it wrapped its icy embrace around his flesh and he began to shiver uncontrollably.  He could sense that Myra was doing the same.

              As Merek gazed upon the man, he realized that he was not a shadow walker.  He was something more powerful, more dangerous and Merek suddenly felt sick.  He could not bring himself to believe that he was truly standing in the presence of the most evil Sorcerer who had ever lived.  The sickness in his stomach grew as he gazed upon the burning eyes of the dark Sorcerer and he worried that he would vomit.

              “Run!”  He said to Myra, knowing that they could not fight him and he tried to pick up his feet and move but the cold seemed to keep them in their place, like a barrier that blocked their way of escape.

              Faster than Merek’s eyes could follow, Amag’mar moved through the fog and reached a pale hand out towards Myra.  Merek could see that she tried to scream but his fingers were wrapped tightly around her throat and no audible sound could be heard escaping her lips.

              Merek stood frozen in horror, unable to aid the poor girl, and watched as a bright, glowing light appeared where Amag’mar’s hand met Myra’s flesh.  Her eyes widened in shock and pain as the light traveled down her throat and into her bosom where it grew and burned brighter.  Smoke began to pour from her open lips and the flame that burned within her spread and broke free of her flesh. 

              Fire now poured from her lips and eyes and before Merek could scream in terror, her body was consumed in the flame and Amag’mar dropped her charred corpse to the ground. 

              Merek did not even try to flee.  He knew that he could not.  Amag’mar turned his fiery eyes towards Merek and he could already feel the fire burning through the chilled air around them as it wrapped itself around his cold flesh.

              The sound of footsteps reached his ears and he turned to find the shadow walkers begin to emerge from the fog.  They encircled him, making any attempt to escape impossible. 

              Amag’mar raised a finger and pointed towards the road to Hely.

              “Goooo.”  He hissed in an almost inaudible whisper.  “Tell them all that they too will burn.” 

              The shadow walkers parted just enough to form a path for Merek to escape by and he did not hesitate another moment.  His feet were running before he even knew that he was moving and he did not stop running until Tyos was far behind- a distant memory that he would never forget. 

Epilogue

The Curse of the Four Watchers

Part One

Haneah

I
t was Amag’mar who found the cave, during a game of go-hide-and-seek.  It was Haneah’s turn to search for her hidden siblings and as she raced across the sandy beach, she stopped to look behind every rock and crevice. 

              First she found Faine, hiding in a small opening in a large, black rock.  The water’s edge reached up to his knees with each incoming wave and Haneah, being the oldest of the four, scolded him for possibly trapping himself where the tide could come in and sweep him away.  Faine apologized with an air of annoyance and the two of them continued on to find the others.

              It was Hebkya she found next, standing behind the trunk of a large oak that stood at the very edge of the forest that overlooked the beach.  She giggled with excitement at the sight of her sister and twin brother and Faine began to chase her around and around the trunk.  The two of them were like a ball of flame with their red hair blurring together as they whizzed around the tree.  Haneah could not help but laugh then after a moment, she reminded them that there was still one to find and the three of them set off after Amag’mar together. 

              When they found him, he was not hidden at all but standing in plain sight underneath a large cliff.  He stood frozen, staring up at the cliff’s edge and for a moment, Haneah thought that something had frightened him.  She stepped closer to the youngest of the four siblings and placed her hands on his shoulders.  Amag’mar did not look at her but raised a pointed finger towards the cliff wall.

              “There.”  He said in his young, innocent voice and when Haneah looked up, she saw it.

              The mouth of the cave jutted forth from the cliff’s edge as though it were trying to reach down and swallow them up.  As she stared at it, Haneah felt a soft wind touch her face and with it came a breath of air and the sound of a woman’s sigh.  Her eyes lit up and her face glowed with warmth. 
There is something in that cave! 
She realized with excitement. 
Something that is hidden away and wants to be found! 
She could not contain her excitement and before she knew it, she was running to the cliff wall.  Faine, Hebkya and Amag’mar all ran after her and the four of them began searching for a way up.

              Though there was no visible path they could take up to the cave, Haneah did not get discouraged.  Her heart was filled with determination and she looked for solid hand-holds.  Slowly she began to climb, placing her hands as high as she could and pulling herself up with care.  It wasn’t long before she looked down and realized how far she had climbed.  She was halfway to the cave and she could see the beach below her stretch on for miles.  She saw Faine and Hebkya climbing behind her.  Both were placing their hands and feet exactly where Haneah had and were climbing at a quick pace. 

              It was not for Faine or Hebkya that she worried.  They were capable of climbing just about anything.  Her fear was for Amag’mar- young, sweet Amag’mar whose fear of heights was so strong, it would cripple him.  Apparently, Amag’mar’s desire to reach the cave was greater than his fear and he began to climb after Hebkya. 

              “Stay there, Amag’mar!  Do not follow!  We will come back for you!”  Haneah shouted down to him but he paid her no mind and continued upwards.  Haneah knew that she could not stop him so she turned her attention back to the cliff that she now clung to and continued on.

              By the time she reached the opening of the cave, Haneah’s arms shook from the exhaustion of pulling her body up.  She lay flat on her back, panting and trying to catch her breath.  When Faine and Hebkya reached her, they did the same and soon, all were on their feet again and peering over the edge at Amag’mar. 

              The top of his head was all that could be seen.  His black hair reflected the late-afternoon light.  When he tilted his head up and looked to them, Haneah could see that his large, gray eyes were full of terror.  He was frozen, unable to go any further.  Haneah took a deep breath and swung her legs back over the edge. 

              Carefully she climbed down until she was next to Amag’mar.  His little body shook from fright and tears had begun to form in his eyes. 

              “Do not be afraid.”  Haneah tried to comfort him.  She reached over with one hand and stroked him on the back.  “It is easy.  Imagine that you are a part of the stone and that you can never fall.  Focus on the placement of your hands and feet and not the distance of which you have climbed and you will be at the top before you know it!”  She smiled reassuringly at him but her words did nothing to comfort the small child.  He shook his head and let his tears run freely down his face.

              “I can’t.”  He whispered. 

              Haneah knew then that Amag’mar would never make it on his own.  She shimmied her way as close to him as she possibly could, made certain that her hold on the cliff’s edge was strong and urged him to climb on her back. 

              Amag’mar reached out and grasped her shoulders frantically, then wrapped his legs tightly around her and clung to her back like a baby monkey.  Haneah could feel him shaking as she climbed and knew that he had buried his face in her back so that he could not see.

              When they reached the cave, Amag’mar threw himself from Haneah’s back and sprawled out face-first on the cave floor.  Haneah sat next to him and stroked his back.  She did not urge him to move but let him lie until his body stopped shaking and his breathing returned to normal.

              Faine and Hebkya had already begun exploring the cave’s tunnel.  They could barely be seen against the black darkness of the deep cavern and Haneah shouted for them to return. 

              “We must stay together.”  She told them and all three younger siblings agreed.

              “Amag’mar, we need light.”  She said and she watched with joy as a slow smile returned to his lips. 

              The four of them had each been born with powers that could not be explained.  Amag’mar’s gift was the gift of flame.  He could wield a fire to move to his will or he could create a small flame from nothing.  He stood and raised a hand out before him and soon a spark flickered in the darkness and a small flame hovering above his open palm and no bigger than that of a candle was lighting their way.

              He walked ahead of them and Haneah followed closely behind.  She kept one eye on her youngest brother and the other fixed on the tunnel ahead.  After what seemed to be hours, they came to a point where the cave split into two tunnels and they stopped, looking ahead at both with apprehension.

              “Which way shall we go?”  Hebkya asked.  She stood next to Haneah and looked to her older sister for guidance.  Haneah raised a hand to silence them and stood still to listen.

              She felt it once more, a breath of wind on her face and the feeling of arms wrapping around her and pulling her towards the tunnel on the left.  She began to walk quickly in that direction and the others raced after her.

              They came to an opening in the tunnel nearly an hour later and the light of Amag’mar’s small flame grew until it stretched across the cavern walls and illuminated almost everything.  He found a stone bowl that looked as though it had been carved by man years ago and carefully placed his flame inside.  When it was no longer in his hand, he placed both hands to the sides of the flame and began slowly pulling them away.  The flame grew with his motion until it filled the entire stone bowl and the cavern’s shadows danced against the walls.

              Haneah smiled at her youngest brother and thanked him quietly.  Amag’mar beamed up at her excitedly, always eager for his oldest sister’s approval.

              She turned slowly and looked to the cavern in which they stood.  The center of the floor sunk into a low bowl which was filled with water.  Haneah peered down at the water and saw in the depths below a light that was glowing and pulsing.  Her eyes were fixed upon the light and soon she was submerging herself into the cold water.

              Haneah’s gift was the ability to breathe underwater.  She could live at the bottom of a lake and never resurface if she desired.  She had discovered this when she was a small child.  Her father took her to the Shattered Lake to teach her how to fish.  She leaned over the edge to peer at the string attached to her pole when suddenly she lost her footing and fell in.  Not knowing how to swim, Haneah sank to the bottom of the lake and sat in the mud, looking up to her panicked father who had jumped in after her.  When he pulled her from the lake, he lay on the beach panting and trying to catch his breath.  Haneah, however, had never lost hers.

              She swam, deeper and deeper until she reached the source of the light.  It was four round balls glowing as though the sunlight was touching them.  Haneah reached out and grasped them tightly in her hand and swam back to the surface.  When she emerged, she held her hand up for her siblings to see.

              They gathered in a circle and Haneah held the balls of light in her open palm.  She could clearly see now that they were small, round stones, each glowing in a different color. 

              The white stone was picked up by Faine, who held it close to his face and became lost in a trance.  Hebkya reached out for the green stone and held it tightly in her palm, sighing with relief as though something dear and long lost had been returned to her.  Amag’mar slowly reached for the red stone and held it out at a distance as though it was about to burn him.  Haneah was left with the blue stone- the one stone that she would not have allowed the others to take.  It spoke to her in a way that the others had not.  Its soft voice traveled through the thickness of the air and entered her mind, caressing her with peaceful words that she could not understand.  She could feel the power that resided within the stone.  It penetrated through her hand and flowed up her arm with ease.  With it came a warmth that Haneah had never felt before and it consumed her entire body.  She sighed with the pleasant feel of it and felt herself shake away any fear or doubt she had ever felt in her life.  Her eyes drooped with heaviness and soon, she was lying on the stone floor sound asleep.  Her siblings lay around her- all had fallen into a deep slumber and none of them would wake for three years. 

***

              It had been like a dream- as though she were floating over the world, shrouded in a cloud of haze where no one could see her. 

              There was a woman- beautiful and kind.  Her deep blue eyes seemed to sparkle even in the night.  She smiled warmly and beckoned Haneah to follow.

              She gestured to the world below and Haneah gasped when everything disappeared.  The world was a barren wasteland- no longer able to sustain life.  Tears began to flow down Haneah’s cheeks but the woman wiped them gently away and smiled encouragingly at her. 

              With a wave of her hand, water came from nowhere and began to flow over the empty land below.  It washed away the plainness of the world with a loud
roar
and Haneah had to cover her ears. The woman laughed and grasped Haneah’s hands, pulling them down and holding them gently.

              “Water is the gift I give this world.”  She said and her voice seemed to come from all around.  “Water is the gift I give to you.”  Then the woman was pulling Haneah down.  They flew down towards the surface of the newly formed sea and splashed into its depths head-first.  Haneah did not panic, for she knew that this was her destiny.  She knew that the spirit who held her hand now had waited for her.  She could not deny the sensation of her powers flowing through the spirit’s hand into Haneah’s.  She knew that everything that was happening was meant to happen and there was no fear in Haneah’s heart. 

              At the bottom of the sea, they watched- for how long, Haneah could not say but time seemed to stand still in those moments.  They watched as the tiniest of specks began to take on new forms, grow in size and move on their own.  Soon, the entire ocean floor was moving with life and Haneah knew that the life they had acquired was gifted through the power of the water. 

              Then the spirit reached forward and plucked a small stone from the ocean floor.  Tightly she held to it and whispered some words in a tongue that Haneah could not understand.  The whispered words traveled through the depths and echoed throughout the ocean floor.  The words rang in Haneah’s ears and suddenly, she understood.  The spirit was filtering her powers into the stone.

              “A world created, in its youth shall be left to grow.”  She said in the common tongue and she turned to Haneah as she spoke.  “But watchers there must be to settle the unease of the land.  My powers are great and to give them solely to you would destroy your fragile, mortal being.  So through this stone, shall you hold the greatest gift a mortal can receive.  Through this stone, you shall hold the powers of the sea and everything that dwells within.  You shall walk in this world longer than any other mortal has and so shall any of your kin who possess these powers.  For the watchers of the world shall always be in need and though I cannot grant you immortality, I can grant you the knowledge that any who are descended from you shall grow in strength.  This gift I give comes with great responsibility.  Watch over this fragile world.  Love it and care for it as though you have created it yourself.”  Then the spirit held the stone out to Haneah and she slowly lifted it into her own hand.  She felt the power of the stone pulse through her fingertips all the way down her arm and could not help but smile.  Her destiny had found her.