Waiting for a Shadow

A young knight in the white cape was running in the hallway towards the Royal Court as he saw 2 guards wearing the same silver armor and the white cape at the entrance of the court, holding a tall ax with a spear at the end. As the Knight moved tried to enter the court, both guards put their ax in front of the entrance. "Let me in. It's an emergency." Giles shouted. "We don't have time. Let me in already."

"State your business and do you have a permit." A guard asked.

"I don't have time," Giles yelled. "King needs to hear this right now. So, let me go." As he pushed the guard and forced his way in. A guard leaped grabbing him from his neck and slammed his face on the floor.

"What is this? Such behavior. How rude? How dare he came in at such an important moment." People chattered, their dresses colored bright, loaded with jewels and gold, sitting around a table.

"What is this insolence?" A man spoked. His silk dress was white, a red cap, and a golden crown with a large silver diamond embedded in the front. "Was I not clear to not let anyone in?"

"Forgive me, your highness. Brat just barged in and he yelled he has a very important message." The guard replied, kneeling as he was holding Giles on the floor with his right hand.

"My King, a horde in the forest. He's alone there." Giles yelled in a broken voice as he was shaking and breathing heavily. "We don't have time."

"Unhand him and rise, young Giles." King swings his arm towards Giles, pointing him to stand. "Now tell me, what is the matter?"

"My king, I am here on Captain Alexander's orders. There's a horde in the forest and Captain is facing him alone. He ordered me to inform you that there might be other hordes throughout the kingdom and he also asked for the backup." Giles replied. "My king, you sent us there to protect them and I've failed."

"Worry not young Giles. I also have sensed his presence, and I was planning to go see things myself, and there's no other horde," King replied calmly as he put his hand on Giles's shoulder. "The court is dismissed. You all may leave now and bring me my armor." King spoke in a loud voice as he turned back and after a moment two knights enter holding silver armor with 4 colored jewels embedded in the front and a white cape. King untied his cap and spread his arms as the knight took off the cap slowly and started putting the armor in the place over his body and tying the cape threads.

"Wait, my king," Giles asked as he walk past him towards the exit. "Are you leaving alone?"

"Yes," he replied. "We have little time to gather the knights, and his mana is getting weaker as we speak. I'll go myself after Alexander." King tells the Giles as they both walked out of the court into a lush garden and the vines spiraling on the trees covered with blue flowers. King lifts his head as he looks at the sky and said. "Handle the nobles on my behalf till I return." And he steadily started rising the air, looking in the direction he was sensing Alexander, and flew like a shooting star, leaving behind a long bright yellow trail.

"God, that looks amazing every time I see it. I don't know what magic type he used this time?" Giles spoke as he scratched his head, thinking.

Sun is up and all the land below is illuminated and the desert looked like a gold sheet spread on the earth as far as the sight goes. "I hope I'll be there in time. His mana went too low to be detected." King replied as he was flying over the desert looking at the desert and he saw a wall and two oddly altered dunes structures below him. "I hope this was his squads doing, and they were here in time," King said as he lands down looking around him at these structures and suddenly, he sensed mana appearing towards the moon lake forest and flew there immediately leaving a giant sand cloud followed by a thunderous shock wave. "What was that I just sensed? It was just like me but somehow different and it disappeared right after."

Eva is sitting on the chair half asleep next to Isabel, holding her sleeping baby in her arms. Suddenly Eva stood up, looking around in the room in confusion. "What's wrong Eva? Did something happen?" Isabel asked.

"Hey, by any chance William came here while I was sleeping?" Eva Asked as she sat down on the chair leaning her head back on the chair's back.

"What do you mean? You know he's in Capital. How could he be here?" Isabel replied as she tilted her head and a surprised look crossed her face.

"Then what was that I just sensed. Am sure it was his mana that I sensed, but I disappeared too quickly to pinpoint however it was close." She replied as she looked at the wooden ceiling half-illuminated with the lamp's light and half with the light coming from the window. "I just hope he came back soon." As she was thinking, she heard wooden floor planks squeaking as someone ran outside towards the room banging their feet.

Suddenly, the door opens as it hits the wall swinging and a man with a white cape and silver armor with 4 jewels embedded in the chest plate enters the room. "Is everything okay? Has he come back?" He asked.

"What are you doing here, William? Don't you have an important event with royals today?" Isabel asked as she gently put her baby on her right side on the bed. "And why are you looking in so rush and who came back? Why are any of you not telling me anything?" Isabell asked in a saddened voice. "First, he left in a panic not telling me anything but he told Eva and since then she is also dogging the topic and now you coming here leaving such an important event, do you all think I am still a child and I won't notice?" and tears started bubbling in her eyes.

"God, you still are clueless after becoming a king. Look, now you made her sad." She yells at William, putting her hand on her face. "I was trying not to make her worry in this condition and you just have to ruin it."

"Eva, please take the baby to the other room. I don't the baby to wake up." Isabel asks Eva as she hands the baby to her.

As Eva walks past William towards the door, she turns back, "have fun." She speaks with a grin on her face.

William turns her back as Eva left the room and he saw the tear in Isabel's eyes. "I'll tell you everything," William replied and explained the whole situation.

"Have you all lost your mind? Why would any of you let him go in the first place?" Isabel yells at William. "Wasn't there no one else available in the entire kingdom? I can't sense his mana and I am afraid." She says in a sobbing voice.

"Please don't cry. Nothing will happen to him. Give him some credit. After all, he's a captain too. You are just out of mana right now. That's why you cannot sense his mana too." William replied as he put his right hand on her face and gently wiped the tears with his thumb.

"You can sense his mana, right? Then why are you here and not looking for him?" Isabel asked, desperately looking at William.

"I went to look for him before coming here. However, Leofwin's men must've gotten there before me and I am sure He's with that giant drinking," William replied awkwardly, smiling. "He must've exhausted his mana so I can't sense him either." Suddenly, William stood back up from the chair and Eva came running into the room.

"You also sensed that, right?" Eva asked as she gave back the baby to Isabel.

"What is it? Tell me what happened?" Isabel asked as she saw a troubled look on both of their faces.

"There's a large spell is been cast nearby." William replied, "I and Eva will go see." And they both left the room.

As they rushed in the woods towards the direction they sensed the spell, they saw a black orb floating in the air over a pool of blood and at that moment, they both knew the gravity of the situation in front. "Please, don't be in there. This can't be true! Tell me this is a lie. What would I tell her? How would I face her?" Eva breaks down in tears as she falls on her knees and William stood there frozen and had nothing to say as the rain gets heavier and the gloomy day turned dark.