A Land in Shadow

by Daniel Whitman

  Turning around, Ashyla strode away from the companions, her cascading braid waving behind her. Immediately, the binding pressure lifted from the companions, leaving them gasping for breath. Andromeda glanced about at her companions; her eyes wide.

  What happened?

  SmibSmob stood silent, his face drawn, pale and smothered with self-doubt. Nalgene tried to comfort his brother, but SmibSmob shrugged him off. The Captain drug himself back to his feet, a mask of denial rejecting all that the Goddess had cast upon him. Fasto and Margaret stood helplessly, unable to comfort the others. Margaret clenched her black fist by her side, while Fasto glared at Ashyla, his eyes as cold as the ice from Margaret's arm. Ro rushed over to Andromeda, trying to calm her with his protective spirit, but her fears held firm, like iron spikes driven into her mind.

  Andromeda’s gaze shot over to Ashyla, who now leaned upon the rock, apparently uninterested in the companions. Andromeda studied the woman, desperately trying to identify some weakness, some crack in the alluring facade.

  She found none.

  Beside Andromeda, Captain Osann staggered forward, his greatsword held in front of him. His face was twisted with despair, but it burned with an inner fire.

  “Name yourself,” he ordered Ashyla, his voice steeled. His greatsword flickered, hinting at the raging inferno that could burst to life across its razor edge.

  Ashyla glanced up, binding the Captain with an accusing glare. She moved off the rock, and paced forward to the Captain, her black skirt flowing out behind her.

  “Why, my dear Osann. You know not of me?” She paused, throwing a cheeky smile at the Captain. “Such a pity. Once the lands would have bowed at my very presence.”

  Captain Osann spat at her. He planted his feet, raising his greatsword threateningly. Flickers of flame spiraled about the blade, casting blasts of heat across the cold lands.

  “I repeat,” he said, his voice harsh. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he tensed his muscles, ready to pounce upon the arrogant woman. “Name yourself.”

  Ashyla shot the Captain a teasing smile, flashing her brilliant teeth and reaching up to caress her majestic braid. “Pray tell, my dear Osann, what is it you hope to accomplish?” she taunted. The Captain snarled, and his greatsword erupted into a blazing inferno. Ashyla laughed. “All your bravado, all your flaming grandeur and strength. It’s all a lie. I see you, my dear Osann.”

  The Captain took a threatening step forward, his eyes cold and unforgiving. “No,” he growled through his teeth.

  “Brilliant. Strike me down,” Ashyla goaded, holding her arms out wide and throwing a sideways glance at the companions. “But please, do try harder than against your dear friends.”

  Andromeda flinched, Ashyla’s words striking true. Her mind was thrown back to when they had first met the Captain, where he had vowed to strike them down. Yet still, here they were, by his side as he led them across the forsaken lands. He ruthlessly attacked them, yet not one of them had fallen to his billowing blade.

  “Captain …” Andromeda whispered. Her stomach wretched at his name, but she smothered her disgust.

  I need him.

  Ashyla’s eyes fell upon her, their knowing gaze piercing through her wild thoughts. Andromeda’s mind screamed in protest, yet resist as she might, her deepest thoughts were thrown into the open daylight.

  Ashyla smiled.

  “No!” Andromeda cried, collapsing to her knees in defeat. Her mind tore apart. All her thoughts and secrets, it all come crashing down upon her in a furious storm. Try as she might, she could not hope to resist the surge. A voice, exactly like the one from the prison, entered her mind. A gentle yet commanding voice. Ashyla’s voice.

  Ever since your childhood …

  The thoughts rushed in, unwelcome.

  You tried to save them, tried to protect them.

  Andromeda shied from the memories, but still they came.

  You failed. You watched them die, watched them get cut down by the marauders, but there was nothing you could do. You were weak, helpless before the harsh reality of the world. As you wept over their torn corpses, you vowed you would never succumb to the weight of the world, that you would pounce forward and dominate any hunt that came upon you. You craved power, lusted it, all for the promise of revenge …

  How selfish.

  An image of a strange man with a flowing blue cloak formed in her mind. He had a bushy mustache and an innocent smile. In his hand was an elegant hammer, sparkling in the sunlight …

  And, because of him, you found it.

  But the thought was cut off, as if it were locked behind some iron barrier. Ashyla’s slim mouth curled into a frown.

  The shackles restraining Andromeda’s mind released, relieving her from the chaotic turmoil. She tried to grasp at what she saw, tried to make sense of the strange man, but she had no answers.

  Andromeda glanced up, studying the enchanting woman in front of her. Her eyes ran across her flowing skirt and her smooth, pale skin, her golden jewelry and her emerald eyes. As her eyes locked with Ashyla’s, the stone shackles crashed back upon her mind, binding her to the unwelcome thoughts. The inner voice appeared once more; its thundering clarity redoubled.

  You lusted for power, and nothing else mattered before your insatiable hunger! The thoughts of your slaughtered family faded before the might of your desire, leaving nothing but a chasm in your heart. And after the escape from the prison, it grew into a billowing inferno. You pretended to be a friend. But you were just following your own greed.

  But that all changed. In your meeting with Osann, you saw the fatal flaw of your lust. You saw the empty shell you were. You saw the heartless void that was your existence. You connected with him. He too had a false shell, he too smothered his emotions behind a masquerade, but unlike you, underneath the twisting lies, he had something to fight for.

  Andromeda gasped, and her stomach lurched at the thought. She hated the Captain, despised him … right? He tried to kill her, tried to betray her. But as much as she denied it, the voice rang true. She tried to reject the thoughts, but the voice cut through her feeble defenses, pouncing upon her vulnerability with a brutal savagery.

  Deny it as you will, you can never hope to escape the void clawing at your mind! You tried to reject it, tried to promise yourself there was more beneath the murky surface! But every time you looked upon Osann, you were gazing upon a shattered mirror. You were empty, a shallow mockery of life! Deny it as you will, you know the truth! You didn’t hate Osann, you hated the image that you saw in his dark eyes! And so, you pounced upon the first thought of abandoning him, you eagerly fled from what you so despised, and for what? To finally do some good? To purify the endless Shadow? Nay, you were selfish, ignorant to the troubles about you. Yet still here you are, hoping at a chance for redemption. You stride about, veiled in the darkness, thinking to use your lust to protect the others.

  Pathetic.

  Andromeda wanted to scream, to let out a roar of denial. Yet her breath caught in her throat, and she could only gape at the woman in front of her. Her tail thrashed about wildly, and a blaze burned deep within her eyes, searing Ashyla with a scorching rage. Yet still the voice mocked her, taunted her with its twisting deceptions.

  What power …

  A growl escaped Andromeda’s lips, and her mouth curled back into a ferocious snarl.

  Ashyla smiled.

  You see it before you now, my dear Andromeda. Power is a poisoned blade. It can cut down the mightiest of foes, or the holiest of friends. Deny it as you will, you know this. You know the noxious truth.

  And, my dear Andromeda, the poison has already spread.

  “NO!” Andromeda screamed in denial. Her halberd appeared in her hand, and her body began fading into the darkness. “It’s all lies! I see through your deception! You may try to tear me apart with your deceit, but it is nothing more than empty promises!”

  The air hug silent about the companions, broken only by the mocking laughter of Ashyla.


  “Andromeda,” Ro gaped. He moved to comfort Andromeda, but she warded him off with a fiery glare. Pain flashed across his face. He wanted to help, wanted to guide her through the darkness, but this was her hunt, and hers alone.

  “What in the bloody hell?” Nalgene grunted. “Durned cat.”

  Beside him SmibSmob still stood oblivious to the others, his face taught and pale, and his hands aimlessly searching the endless expanses of his pointed hat. Fasto was appalled, his jaw hung open in shock. Even Margaret seemed wary. She had felt a sort of kinship with Andromeda, some deeper spark of connection. Yet this was beyond her understanding.

  The Captain stood silent.

  “You lie,” Andromeda spat at Ashyla. The restricting shackles binding her mind had lifted, and a soothing calm settled over her body.

  With a flick of her wrist, her halberd disappeared, and she returned from her shadowy stealth. Her tail slashed fiercely, and her sharp eyes shot daggers of ice, but her visage remained calm and collected. Ashyla gave her a quizzical look, her rosy lips curling into a soft smirk.

  “You lie,” Andromeda repeated. “You lie. Mmmm, you may stand there now, twisting us about as if we were your prey, but I know your game. Do you think you can play us as some god?”

  Ashyla smiled. “Precisely.”

  Andromeda ignored her. “You lie. You cannot control me. You cannot break me.”

  “What in the bloody hell are ye ramblin' about, ye durned cat?” Nalgene burst in. Confusion clouded his face, and his gaze darted between the two women in a frantic search of the truth. “I dunno what yer screamin' about, but I ain’t be likin' it. Sure, this woman be actin' a little weird around me brother, but there ain’t be no bloody lies, that’s fer sure. She wasn’t even talkin'!”

  “Well spoken, my dear gnome,” Ashyla applauded Nalgene, shooting him a dazzling smile. “And worry not, for your dear brother is just fine.”

  Nalgene merely growled, and SmibSmob remained silent.

  “No, you don’t understand,” Andromeda spat.

  “Andromeda, remember the prison,” Ro jumped in. He clenched his longsword by his side, betraying his discomfort. “This woman saved us. When we were cut down by the minions of Shadow, she came down in a flash of light, driving the darkness back. She brought us to the forest, away from our deaths.” He paused, and his brow furrowed in thought, an uncomfortable thought. “But why?” he asked.

  Andromeda hesitated; her rage played out.

  Why indeed?

  She could only wonder.

  The other companions glanced at Ro, confusion in their gazes.

  “Eh? That ain’t be what happened,” Nalgene started, turning to Ro. But before he could continue, the Captain jumped in.

  “Why indeed?” Captain Osann echoed. His face was pale, yet a resolved strength shone brightly upon his dark features. “They claim you have saved them.” He paused, and he turned his gaze to the companions. “No.” His voice grew harsh, and he pinned Ro with a threatening glare. “You said it was Mariah who rescued you from the Shadow.”

  Ro stammered, at a loss for words. SmibSmob flinched.

  Ashyla laughed. “Oh, is that so?” She turned her eyes to Andromeda, their shining depths piercing her resolve. “And you claim that I lie? Look around you, my dear Andromeda, you all lie. How … selfish.”

  “No!” Andromeda hissed, a billowing hatred burning inside of her. She will not be controlled. She will not be broken. She will not be pulled around like some lifeless puppet. “You lie.”

  Ashyla smiled. “And pray tell, my dear Andromeda, when have I not spoken the truth?”

  Andromeda paused. She had no answer. She tried to think, tried to call the enchanting woman out on her deception. But she could not. It was the truth.

  She could not accept that, could not allow Ashyla to control her. Yet her thoughts rung hollow, empty of resolve. “No,” she said in a vain attempt at denial.

  Ashyla laughed, her sweet melody washing over Andromeda. “My dear Andromeda, how far have you fallen. You vow to never be broken yet look at you now.”

  Andromeda growled, and her halberd appeared in her hand. She knew Ashyla was right, but she crushed the thought under the weight of her fury. Her sharp eyes locked onto her target, scanning for a weakness.

  Before she could act, the Captain appeared in front of Andromeda, his mighty greatsword held threateningly at her throat. His eyes held little mercy. Flickers of flame erupted from the sword, brushing Andromeda with their searing heat. Andromeda tried to escape, tried to fade away into the shadows, but the Captain’s feral gaze locked her in place.

  Ashyla laughed, mocking their petty arguments. “Oh my, what a turn,” she taunted. Captain Osann shot an icy glare at her, and she raised her hand in a feint alarm.

  “Silence!” the Captain ordered, his voice harsh and remorseless. Conflict crashed in his eyes, yet his face was as hard as stone.

  Ashyla bowed, her black hair brushing against the cold ground. “As you command,” she teased. “My dear traitor.”

  Captain Osann snarled, clenching his greatsword, his knuckles turning white.

  “Ye see? What did I tell ye!” Nalgene shouted, his buried anger bursting forth. This time there was no calming rain. This time SmibSmob was not there to soothe his rage. “Bloody traitor! I might not be knowin' what the bloody hell is goin' on, but I be trustin' this woman more than yer sorry arse, Osann!”

  He raised his hands, and swirling vortexes of water formed within his grasp. With a furious cry, he launched them at the Captain.

  Andromeda could only watch on with horror.

  No, she lies! Why don’t they understand?

  In the background, Ashyla looked on with amusement, a sly smirk curled on her smooth face. Andromeda snarled. She wanted to pounce at the woman, pounce at her lies, yet she knew it would be for naught. She denied Ashyla, yet still, admired her power. Shaking her head, her attention was caught by the two orbs of water streaking towards the Captain. Time seemed to slow, as if hesitating to see the outcome. And still Andromeda could only watch as the destruction unraveled.

  Shouting, Ro leaped in front of the Captain, his shining shield held out in front of him like an iron wall. With a frightful splash, the oncoming water crashed into Ro, driving him to the ground. He landed upon the unforgiving earth, his breath blasted from his body, but he was far from out of the fight. Ro looked up, his accusing glare locking onto Nalgene, driving the gnome back with its raging intensity. Coughing, he forced himself to his feet, still holding the shield out before him.

  “Ye durned dragon!” Nalgene roared, not backing away from the furious draconian. He raised his hands, and a mighty vortex formed above his head, its swirling water dancing about in a tantalizing display of might. “Ye better move yer sorry arse, or else I be blastin' ye to the stinkin' pits o’ oblivion!”

  Nalgene took a threatening step forward, his face a mask of fury. SmibSmob still stood silently by, absorbed in his own dark thoughts.

  “He gave us his vow!” Ro said, standing firm under the gnome’s threat. “He would lead us to the Light, lead us out of these lands of Shadow. He would reunite us with —”

  “And I meant to keep that promise,” growled the Captain, interrupting Ro. Turning, he removed his sword from Andromeda’s neck, and placed it at the base of Ro’s neck.

  “Yet, you still doubt me a traitor,” he snarled, his voice lowering dangerously. “I should think you the traitors. You lied. You lied to me, and my General. Shadowfriends … I should have killed you when I first got the chance.”

  “Why don’t ye be killin' us now, eh?” Nalgene screeched at the Captain; his face twisted in a furious storm. “Ye be wantin' to fight, eh? I’ll take ye on, ye filthy scum, I’ll be makin' sure ye never see the bloody Light again!”

  Growling, he lowered his hands, and the mighty surge dissipated. He reached into his flowing blue cloak and pulled forth his crystalline bottle. The water inside rang clear and pure, yet under the
weight of Nalgene’s rage it seemed inky and black.

  “Outta the way, ye bloody dragon!”

  A very confused Fasto moved up to stand next to the gnome, his white bow raised, and a deadly arrow already nocked, ready to pierce the Captain's skull. The orc was lost in the twisting events around him, yet he seemed determined to strike Captain Osann down. So much for being a friend.

  “Then we shall fight,” the Captain hissed, raising his mighty greatsword. There was no mercy in his harsh gaze. “I’ll be sure to take one of you with me when I go.” His greatsword erupted into its full splendor, its billowing fires of death lunging at the companions.

  Andromeda could only watch in horror.

  Why don’t they understand?

  Her eyes shot over to Ashyla, who stood idly by, an amused look on her face. Noticing Andromeda’s glare, Ashyla merely chuckled and shrugged, shooting Andromeda an apologetic smile. Andromeda’s mind whirled about in torment.

  She lies! She saved us, rescued us from the prison, yet here she stands, mocking us and pulling us about as if we were her prey. I won’t allow it!

  She knew Ashyla was right, but she did not care. She had to protect the others. She had to have something to fight for.

  Andromeda stared at Margaret, who stood similarly horrified. The orc’s eyes shone in desperation, and she gave Andromeda a pleading nod. Andromeda nodded, and her tail slashed violently behind her. She had to have something to fight for.

  “No! Stop! Don’t you see, she’s doing this to us!” Andromeda exclaimed, leaping forward and crashing into Ro, driving him away from the infuriated Captain. Her halberd appeared in her hand, and she held it out at Ashyla, its razor edge shining in the fading light of the pale sun. Her gaze cut across the companions, locking onto the Captain like two iron daggers driving into his chest. She felt alive, the thrill of the hunt coursing through her boiling blood. She had to have something to fight for.