Dawn of Darkness: Part 1 (Where the Shadows Stalk)

by Adam Watson

  "Where are you taking me?" she had snapped irately, she didn't like the way these men were manhandling her without saying what their intentions were.

  "I am taking you to see the Master Confessor. He has a few questions he would like to ask you. I suggest you answer them swiftly. Now be quiet, I don’t want to hurt you, but I will." The Oracle went dead silent after that and had followed the looming inquisitor. His huge hands and dead-eyed gaze had spoken volumes to her - he meant what he had said and would have no qualms in hurting her, in fact, she had believed he would break her neck in a heartbeat.

  Back in the cell, the Oracle shivered, and it was not from the cold, there was too much moisture in the air for that. The Master Confessor. She would never forget the first time that he laid those sickly pale, cataract laden eyes on her; eyes that looked like they were made of frosted glass. Eyes that pierced into the recesses of her mind, intruding like winding snakes, penetrating deep into her psyche and devouring her will to resist.

  He had a power that could reveal her secrets, a power that made her want to confess. It was a power that came straight from the great goddess, Kara, but she had been trained how to resist such temptations of gods and goddesses; she was the Oracle of Tempus. His rage became great when his persuasions didn’t work … and that's when the torture began.

  What followed was akin to being plunged into a nightmare, only that every horror you had ever dreamed, and everything that you had ever feared was now right there in the room with you. In the Chamber of Secrets, the Oracle had learned that her pain was very real, and that she was very weak.

  She didn't like thinking back to that part, she had always thought that she was strong, especially mentally, but the Master Confessor had shown her just how weak she really was - both in mind and body.

  All her years of training at the Temple of Tempus should have prepared her, but nothing could have prepared her for how easily he had broken her. Being in a place cut off from her powers, she was on her own, and with no way to defend herself from those who still had theirs.

  Back in her cell the Oracle began to weep, had she really told them everything? Had they really gotten the truth out of her so easily? No, she had hidden the fact that both she and Dray were from the Order of Tempus. Had she let that knowledge out, they would probably both be dead.

  The Karites were fanatically devout to their goddess. The other gods were monstrous enemies and their followers blaspheming heretics. Her being the Oracle of such would have meant being burnt at the stake and Dray, being her companion, would probably have ended up joining her in the flames.

  Why the gods warred on each other no-one really knew, well some knew, some at the top of the order, but the knowledge was not common. It didn't matter anyway, the fact that they did was enough for most people to rage against one another.

  Had she been conscious, she would never have let Dray bring her to this place and allowed herself to be cut off from Tempus; it had left her defenceless and vulnerable. She had powers that were divine, but Kara ruled here - in her own Temple no other god could influence what happened inside.

  She knew that it wasn't his fault. How could he have known? He wasn't a religious man. How could she be angry with him? He didn't know how much danger he had put them in, but she hated him for bringing her here and making her endure such torment.

  Then again what choice did he have? To stay outside and face the creatures of the night? Certain death would have been the only outcome, but maybe certain death out there would have been preferable to imprisonment and torture inside here - two things that she would now have to endure from this day forth. She started to sob; tears streamed down her face as she broke down.

  The fact that she was now trapped in this tiny cell was not why the tears streamed down her face, nor was it that she would now have to face torture on a regular basis.

  It was those milky eyes, those blind milky eyes. Eyes that were dead, yet somehow saw everything; they made her weep. The owner of those eyes, he made her weep, he had made her weep until she could weep no more. He had made her weep blood. Those eyes, pale and dead, now ingrained into her mind, now ingrained into her soul were what she saw before the questioning began. It was not the pain she endured when being tortured that made her weep now though, it was what happened after. To be more specific, what she had confessed.

  How could she betray Dray just to save herself? It was easy to say that she'd rather die than betray her beloved Torac, and it was easy to say that she was strong of mind, with an iron will that could never be corrupted, but once the pain had been unleashed - she would have betrayed Tempus himself to make it stop.

  That knowledge made her feel guilty and ashamed. How could she be so weak? She had schooled students in how to be strong willed and determined. She had schooled them in how to be good and decent people. Was it all lies? What right did she have to think that she could school anyone when she herself had broken so easily? She rocked back and forth unable to shake the words of her confession from her mind.

  Even if she did get out of this nightmare would she ever be able to face herself or anyone of her order again? Could she face Dray again? After all he had done for her? He had risked his life from the start, to save her, an unknown woman whom his commander had thought highly of. Oh, Tempus! Please forgive me, Commander … I have failed you.

  Dray had protected her in the room and during the fall from the window, and she had rewarded him with untold pain. Even after enduring all that, he had given everything he had to get her out of that nightmare - and succeeded.

  She had told them that Dray was from the demon horde, an elite member of the Creed that had taken possession of her. What madness was that? Her stomach churned at the thought. The Master Confessor had liked it when she had told him that, he had liked it when she had told him of all the terrible things Dray had done to her, he especially liked it when she had told him of the sexual things Dray had done to her against her will.

  It was all lies, but she told him more and more, she would have said anything to make him happy. She would have told him that her father was Solus Bal if that would have made him happy. The Oracle shook her head, trying to deny the very thought. How could she even think such things, let alone say them? No, no, no. She tried to deny, but her false confessions continued to echo in her mind. How could I have been so weak? So very, very weak? She cried into the long hours of the night and didn't stop until exhaustion overtook her.

  ***

  Days later, how many days later she was unsure, but it had surely been more than ten and less than fourteen, she awoke to the sound of a loud iron creaking, which was then followed by a loud ‘BANG!’ - someone had entered the dungeon. Her heart raced wildly; not with excitement, but with great trepidation. She knew that nothing good would come from anyone that wanted to visit her.

  The footsteps that echoed throughout the hallway were soft and light, that eased her mind somewhat. At least it isn't one of the inquisitors. She especially feared the large one with the dead, black eyes; at least he hadn't come to take her away from the safety of her cell, and that meant she wouldn't be visiting that dreaded Chamber of Secrets. She even managed a little smile - at least it wouldn't be that.

  The footsteps continued to approach, she could tell by the graceful gait that whoever was coming was a female. Maybe she's not even coming for me. There were other prisoners down there after all … or were there?

  She had heard their screams in the darkness, hadn’t she? The mad rantings of those abandoned by the world; their chitting and chatting echoing through the hallway from one end to the other. Those mad whispers have to be coming from someone. It couldn’t be her imagination, could it? No, she knew she wasn't alone in the dungeon, there were other prisoners down there, there had to be, she couldn’t be losing her mind – not yet.

  The visitor finally arrived, and it turned out to be one of the young acolytes; a dark-haired woman in her early twenties. She carried with her a small tray with food and drink, and
the Oracle's stomach rumbled loudly at the sight. Yes, it smelt foul, but even onion soup had some appeal when you had been starved long enough; the bread looked stale and hard, but she eyed it like a starving dog.

  The young acolyte approached the bars, it seemed strange to the Oracle that she was down here alone without any guards to protect her, but she didn't ponder it, all she could think about was what was on that tray.

  She wanted to rush to the bars like a mad loon, screaming wildly, ripping the tray out of the girl's hands, and consuming everything on it like a wild animal, but instead, she remained still and silent, a picture of composure. She didn't want to look weak in front of this novice - even if she was.

  She needed information, and that meant she would have to somehow get this young woman to talk - she had a feeling that would be easier said than done. She had tried to befriend one of the guards who had brought her food on a previous occasion, all she had found out was that everyone had been ordered not to talk to her, she had no reason to expect that this acolyte would have been told any differently.

  She had to be careful, two days ago, when she had pressed the guard too much for information he had gotten angry and threatened her with violence. Maybe I should have flirted with him. He would have liked her then. No! She knew it would take more than flirting to get any kind of loyalty from that one and she wasn't desperate enough to start dishing out any sexual favours yet. Not yet. A chill went straight through her body and sat in the pit of her stomach.

  There was a time, not that long ago when she thought she'd never go down a path like that, but she knew now that if she had to endure another session in the Chamber of Secrets, she would go down every dark path available to avoid such a fate. She just hoped it wouldn't come to that. Not yet. Those white milky eyes had burned into the deep recesses of her mind and left it scarred.

  She may not have been that desperate yet, but she was certainly in a desperate situation. A timer was counting down, it might not be today or tomorrow or even the day after. It might not even be a week from now, but sooner or later someone would come and take her away.

  She almost starting crying at the thought of being taken back into the Chamber of Secrets, but she didn't. She couldn't break down now, there was too much at stake, she needed to reach out and befriend this young acolyte if she ever wanted to leave this place. She could see no other way, so she took the risk.

  "Is there any word from above?" The acolyte's eyes widened startled, she had not expected the Oracle to talk to her.

  "Mistress Faera, you should know I am not allowed to speak to you." The Oracle smiled. No, they had not gotten her true identity out of her - maybe she wasn't as weak as she thought.

  "Lily? Is that you?" It was the same acolyte that had healed and looked after her before the inquisitors came. The young acolyte turned around to see if anyone was listening, no-one was, of course, she being the only other person in the dungeon apart from the prisoners.

  "Please Mistress, lower your voice, if any of the guards come down here, we can't be caught talking together. They could kill us both." The girl neared the bars and placed the tray through a small slot near the floor. The Oracle wanted to drop to her knees and devour everything in sight. That can wait. She had to concentrate on the task at hand.

  "I'm sorry Lily." The Oracle talked in a whisper, and the acolyte seemed to become more at ease. "Lily please tell me ... who now controls the city?" Was it the Kingdom or the Creed? Had the king's army retaken control of its city or did a demon horde rule here now? Had Candelier City become a place of corruption and despair, a bastion of darkness in a world of light? Would she ever see the people she loved again? Her mother, her father, her dear sisters, what had become of them? 'They're all dead!' screamed a voice from the void. She stopped thinking about those she loved and purged all thoughts of her family from her mind - she didn't want to breakdown in front of the girl. "Lily ... who controls the city?"

  "The army hasn't come yet, but don't worry Mistress, the King won't abandon us." The words gave no comfort to the Oracle. The King is probably dead. Lily saw the look of lost hope on the Oracle's face and decided to show her some encouragement. Reaching through the bars, she gently rubbed the Oracle on her arm. "Fear not Mistress Faera, we are safe here in the Temple. The Creed can't walk here for the great goddess Kara protects us." The Oracle wished Kara would stop 'protecting' her. One day Tempus, we will be reunited. She needed her powers.

  "Where are all the guards Lily, why have they sent you down here alone?" The young acolyte cast her eyes down to the ground, her hand unconsciously went to the small silver pendant hanging from her necklace.

  "The guards ... the guards are busy." Clearly, the green-eyed acolyte didn't want to say any more on the subject, so the Oracle decided not to push, she already had a good idea where the guards might be. Outside, defending the Temple. It was really the only thing that made sense, and yet, that thought troubled her as much as any other. Things must be getting dire if it's come to that.

  "It's all right Lily," she answered, in soothing tones. "I understand." Lily looked nervously back towards the corridor.

  "I ... I should be going." The Oracle reached out through the bars, she could see her only chance of escape leaving.

  "No wait!" she hissed, maybe a little bit too loudly. She knew she should work on this girl longer, gaining her trust could take months, but those glazed white eyes, those milky pools of hate, loomed large in her mind. They made her desperate, they made her do things she normally wouldn't do. They made her act hastily and without rationale; she reached through the bars and grabbed the girl by the wrist.

  "No, I have to go ..." The acolyte was cut off midsentence as the whole building shook so violently that she had to reach out to the bars to steady herself. It was over in moments, neither the Oracle nor the acolyte knew exactly what had happened, but they both knew that something significant had and now all the rules had changed.

  The acolyte turned to the Oracle, still stunned by the event. The Oracle didn't waste any time. She may not have known exactly what had happened, but she did know one thing - the shroud that cut her off from Tempus had opened up like a gaping hole above her head.

  Even as divinity flowed into her body she knew this was an opportunity, it could be her only one and she wasn't about to squander it. Maybe all those years of training were worth something after all. The Oracle reached out and clasped Lily by the throat, the acolyte’s eyes widening with surprise, she didn't know what was happening and was suddenly filled with fear. The Oracle made the girl's head turn towards hers, the girl tried to resist, but the Oracle's grip was divine.

  "Look into my eyes Lily and tell me what you see." The green-eyed beauty tried to look away, but couldn't, she tried to scream, but was helpless, she was like a fly struggling in a spider's web - already caught, with no escape.

  "I-I see ... a-a man in blue." The Oracle smiled. Blue is good. Blue meant Tempus and Tempus meant her powers were working. "He is a man of great power." Yes, that’s it, keep going pretty one. The acolyte gasped, as though shocked by the revelation. "More powerful than Kara!" Tears began to form and trickled down her face.

  "Yes, now submit your will to mine." It didn't really matter what Lily had seen or felt in the vision, it was just a ruse anyway; something that would buy the Oracle enough time to beguile her mind and make her effectively a slave - only better.

  She would obey her every command without thought or question and answer her every question without lie. It was a power, and a gift from Tempus, very few people in the world could do it - only those divinely chosen by one of the gods. She might need to do more to this one if she wanted to get out of here, but that moment hadn't come just yet.

  "Yes, Mistress." Lily's face looked calm and submissive, almost trance-like, her mind was now under the Oracle's control. The Oracle had never trusted these acolytes. You're the one who probably called the inquisitors on us Lily!

  "Where's the key to this cell Lily?" The acol
yte paused for a moment as though trying to recognise the question before finally answering.

  "The guards have it." The Oracle sighed in frustration. Of course they do. She had known the answer before she even asked it. Stop wasting time Kayla.

  "You don't know of any other keys to this cell, do you?" After another long pause, the acolyte shook her head.

  "No Mistress." The Oracle closed her eyes and sighed again. The one thing she had always hated about beguiling was the delay in the answering. I'll have to see if there's a faster way one day. Today would not be that day and now was clearly not the time; she would just have to put up with the delayed answers.

  She hoped that no guards wandered down into the dungeon whilst Lily was in the trance; if they saw her like that, they would be sure to realise something was wrong in an instant. No ... they won't come. She had a feeling deep down inside of her that they would be too busy dealing with whatever had caused the split in Kara's shroud of protection. The only reason anyone will come down here will be to seek sanctuary. If it came to that, she'd have bigger problems on her hands than guards and inquisitors.

  "Lily ... do you know where they took the man that was with me when I first arrived here, the one they might call Dray?"

  "Dray?" The acolyte's eyes twinkled in recognition, before another long pause. "Yes, Mistress." I don't have time for this. Who knew how long the shroud would stay open for; she had to act now whilst everyone was distracted. It would mean another risk, but it only took one thought of those sickly eyes to spur her into action.

  The Oracle reached out through the bars and gently placed her hands on either side of the acolyte's head, her middle fingers resting lightly on each temple.

  "Look into my eyes Lily," she commanded, and green eyes looked into blue. "Good Lily, good. You're doing really well." The soothing words were as much for her own comfort as Lily's; a bead of sweat slowly trickled from her forehead and down the side of her face. She had to concentrate now, taking control of someone's body and transferring a link from one’s mind to another’s was a complicated thing to do, and only an Oracle of the gods could do it.