Part Four: The Ballad of Shadow

Before The War

"One winters night a Shadow walked

Through the sleepy streets of Alpine

There was naught a soul willing to talk

She walked under moonlight

Feeling mocked

She burned it down

Not an ember remained

As the clock struck Midnight

The Shadow crossed into the Nether Realm

The lands of Alpine remained in blight

She felt overwhelm

As she searched for her Birthright

She looked for a soul who would hand her their helm...

I walk out of the Nightwing as the minstrel continues his ballad. Honestly, I don't think he knows any other ballads. It's always the same a Shadow trying to find her way home. No matter how many times he rewrites it is the one constant line. I fasten my crimson cloak as the first snow begins to fall.

"Raksha!" Sonia sends as she runs through the crowded streets barreling towards me. She's being chased by two mortal knights and their hounds. I take the crossbow strapped to my shoulder and aim, one knight dodges at the same time losing control of the two hounds he was controlling. "Stop," I send the hounds just as one is about to take a bite out of Sonia's leg. Ambrose arrives just in time Sonia and I jump into the rickety carriage.

"Tell me you got it?" Ambrose asks as we merge with the Caravan of Merchants.

"Got it," Sonia says patting her satchel, "next time you can do the retrieval and I can find the escape route."

"I thought you liked shiny things," Ambrose says.

"Raksha likes shiny," she says, "I like quiet."

"We know," I say, turning my crimson cloak inside out so that the violet side is visible.

Sonia does the same tying her inky black hair up and hiding it under a silver scarf. No one will be the wiser, I hope.

The carriage comes to a stop, I tuck the crossbow behind me and pull my hood up obscuring my face then lean against the carriage wall hand on my concealed dagger. We had to hide our swords before going through the checkpoint into the city. The carriage starts moving again, two, three, four, every fifth carriage gets stopped at the checkpoint. We're screwed.

"Well good morning," Ambrose greats the guard as our carriage is inspected.

I pretend to sleep as the flap's pulled back, a cool breeze caressing my lips.

"Documentation," a gruff voice says.

"I wouldn't wake them," Ambrose says, "they tend to bite."

"Sir we still need their travel pass."

"Here, they're my sisters it should count."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way," another guard says.

"Just let them go," I send to the first guard.

"Just go," the guard says.

"Michael," the other guard grunts.

Sick bastard, just as our carriage makes it through, I send, "cut off your dick." There's a piercing screech as the scent of blood fills the air.

###

A crow flies above us as if aware of what we just stole. Ambrose takes a turn then comes to a stop.

"I'm going to sale the carriage," he says, "just in case."

Sonia and I climb out finding where about a day's walk from our current hideout.

"We'll wait for you by the River of Sorrows," I say, as the crow circles twice above my head before vanishing. I think he might be a guardian.

"Got it," Ambrose heads east while Sonia and I head North.

"What's with the crow?"

"I don't know," I say, "keep that thing safe."

She nods in understanding as we stalk through the snowy terrain. The River of Sorrows runs through the disputed Vampire lands somehow finding its way to the Dark and Shadow Realms on the other side of the continent. The waters are of the purest black shrouded in mist it's said it was created when the Deity Celeste lost her children her tears bleed into our world creating the river that merges with the undersea. Others say it was created when the Deity Thea fell from the Celestial palace after her heart was broken by the King of the Undersea who selected a nymph as his mate after having tricked the deity into his bed. Regardless neither story holds much joy and both are feting tales for the River of Sorrows. We walk until the sun starts to set choosing to wait for Ambrose not far from the river but far enough to not be in the open.

"What's taking him so long?" Sonia asks.

"You know how he is," I say, setting my satchel down, "Do you have water?" Sonia tilts her flask down indicating she's out.

"Can we?" she asks as I pick my satchel up and head towards the river.

"Why not?"

"The waters black as midnight."

"Sonia," I say, carefully moving a branch away, "what are we?"

"Dark fay," she says stepping past me, "well actually you're a halfling."

"Either way we should be fine," I say, picking up on the sound of the river, I forgot this part of the river is connected to a cascade the water here rushes faster.

"What is that?" Sonia asks.

It takes me a moment to realize she's referring to the pulsing spider lily its red petals swaying in every direction.

"How did you get here?" I ask as we near it.

"Well, what is it?"

"Spider lily."

"What's it doing here?" Sonia asks as I kneel before it, "I thought they lined the path to the Underworld."

"I don't know," I say as the pulsing intensifies the petals coming to a standstill, "I've only seen them in my dreams as I cross into the Underworld."

"Why is there only one?"

I ignore Sonia and reach for the flower stroking its blood-red petals. An image comes to mind of a female with tourmaline eyes throwing me down a pool of obsidian, no not me but the flower. Only the flower is a dagger-shaped like a screaming female with a ruby in her mouth. Just as my mind clears the flower begins to glow, but I'm unable to move as it transforms.