Shadow Fate (Silver Ones Curse Book 3)

by B. W. Catt

  Shadow Fate

  Silver Ones Curse, Volume 3

  B.W. Catt

  Published by B.W. Catt, 2021.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  SHADOW FATE

  First edition. May 18, 2021.

  Copyright © 2021 B.W. Catt.

  Written by B.W. Catt.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  One

  Surrounded by boulders in a deep ravine. Sebial screamed out in anger. Her legs were held in place by vines Woldiniar placed on her before running off to the sounds of people screaming deeper in the gorge.

  “I swear by the flame I will get out this Woldiniar! You cannot hold me back anymore!” Sebial screamed in their direction. Her voice echoed through the ravine.

  She sat down, huffing in frustration. She looked at the vines wrapped up her legs. Reaching down, she grabbed the vines. She attempted to yank them off, they released a surge of electricity. She jumped and let go. She looked down at the burn marks on her hand.

  “Woldiniar!” Sebial screamed. “I hope whatever is attacking those people kill you!”

  Sebial took a deep breath in. Focusing on her magic, she changed into her armor. Her sword appeared sheathed at her side. Sebial slowly pulled her sword from its sheath. Taking in another deep breath, flames expanded from the sword. Sebial smiled to herself as she placed the blade against the vines.

  The blade began to flicker from the vines' repeated shocks. Sebial pressed harder. She channeled her magic into the sword, allowing the flames to grow stronger, their colors changing to a bright white. The vines began to smoke. Sebial started to push her legs apart as the vines started to tear.

  Finally, they snapped. Her blade slammed into the ground between her legs.

  Sebial took a breath of relief. She sheathed her sword.

  “I am lucky my magic cannot harm me, but Shalerie gifted me with a sharp blade. That would have hurt.” Sebial stated as she stood up.

  Sebial looked up to the top of the ravine. Its path, rough. Sebial walked over to it. She ran her hand along the rock.

  It doesn’t feel all too lose. I can easily climb this and head their way. This will be the best approach to see what is happening without being spotted.

  She placed her hands firmly on the rock and began to climb.

  Small pieces of rock tumbled down as she went. Sebial paused and stared up. She took note of the lose terrain above.

  She lifted a hand off the rock. Her hand began to glow as a rope slowly formed with a hook on the end. She squeezed the braided rope. Smiling to herself, she looked up.

  This will have to work since I lack the proper climbing equipment.

  She inhaled, gripped harder onto the rock with one hand while she threw the rope with the other. It stuck in between a crevice of the stone. She yanked on it a few times before scaling the wall.

  Reaching the top, Sebial snapped her finger, her rope disappeared. She took off running in their direction. Jumping over large crevices as she went. Her magic expanded further off her body, quickly intensifying, allowing her to jump even farther and run faster.

  She stopped when she noticed a man standing at the top of the ravine, glancing down at the fighting. She drew her sword, running up behind him.

  “Who are you?” Sebial said demandingly.

  The man jumped, his brown hair short and frayed. Wearing long black garments with circles and triangles etched into the cape.

  He stuttered. “I am trying to, to see how I can stop this.”

  Sebial approached him. “You wield magic. That much is obvious from that book in your hand.” Sebial pointed at his hand. He hid the book under his cape. “Yet your book tells me you do not seek to help them. It gives off a presence of evil. Who are you really?”

  Sebial pointed her sword at him, the blade only inches from his chest. He began to shake. He went to step back but stopped when his heel went off the edge.

  “I am. I am trying to help them.”

  “Stop spewing lies. Now tell me, who are you?”

  Sebial formed a rope in her left hand, she held it up, with a quick left to right motion, the rope left her hand, tightly wrapping around him. He let out a scream as he fell forward.

  “Answer me!”

  “I, I created them. I didn’t mean to harm anyone.”

  Sebial walked to the edge and peered down. There were several people in a circle surrounded by a horde of grey, decaying humans.

  Elin and Denias stood in the middle blocking the dead from attacking the most vulnerable of the living. Woldiniar stood on a ledge just above them, throwing bolts of lightning, striking the creatures just for them to immediately get back up. Stacks of random bodies were piling up near the group of people.

  She looked back at the man. “What are those!?”

  He looked away.

  Sebial stabbed her sword into his leg. He fell to the ground, screaming. “I barely cut you! Now, tell me! Who are they?! What are you!?”

  “I tried to stop them. I did. I’m sorry.”

  Sebial grew impatient. She walked up to him. She grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up at her. “Enough of the excuses. Answer my questions!”

  He nodded. “I tried to control my necromancy. They are undead. But”

  “What?! You don’t want to stop them? Is that it?!”

  He shook his head. “I tried. I’m trying to tell you that. They stopped listening to me.”

  Sebial’s eyes widened, blue swirls formed in her iris. “How do they stop listening? Answer quickly. I must stop them before my comrades, and those people, perish!”

  “I, I decided to call them while in this ravine, which is filled with souls trapped from the last great war. I wanted to prove that I was a strong necromancer, ready for everything the others needed. Yet, I couldn’t even handle a few of them. I tried, yet before I could stop the circle, more quickly came through.”

  “Stop saying TRY! Does that book not tell you how to stop them?”

  He shook his head. “It was a gift from King Delandero. He said this would get the kingdom of Shaalin to recognize me. They are known for training the most powerful necromancers.”

  “The king gave that to you?!” Sebial thought about the things Woldiniar and Denias told her. “He was no king. He was a warlock. He killed the real king and took his place. Now, use what you know and fix this!”

  The man began to scream, “I’m trying to!” over and over again.

  Sebial slammed the pommel of her sword onto the man's head. He fell to the ground, blood covered his face. “I have no time to listen to such nonsense.”

  Two

  Sebial looked down at Woldiniar. He had a group of people cowering beside him. With flashes and sizzles of energy, he cast a ward of protection around them.

  I am going to need him. He will have to lower the barrier, but then the people might get injured.

  She ground her teeth. The ground beneath her feet began to ice over. She hopped down the rocky cliff face to the group.

  I have no choice.

  Elin’s eyes widen
ed from seeing Sebial appear. “What are you doing here?! This is too dangerous!”

  Sebial glanced at him as she ran past, ignoring his question. A trail of ice followed behind her. She expanded her magic, creating a blue flame barrier to keep the undead away. They tried to reach her, but the wall threw them back as she quickly approached Woldiniar.

  “Woldiniar, I need you to come with me!” Sebial called out to him from outside the barrier.

  He turned around. “Sebial, why must you be so persistent! And how did you get out of those vines? Oh, I forgot to limit your magic.” He shook his head in disappointment.

  Woldiniar’s focus shifted to an undead approaching Sebial from behind. She noticed Woldiniar’s gaze changed. She quickly turned around to face the undead approaching. Raising her hand toward it, an icy dart shot from her hand into the ground. She closed her hand as ice vines rose from the dart, holding the creature captive.

  She stared back at Woldiniar. “That doesn’t matter. I found the one. He isn’t controlling them anymore. They have their own will!”

  Woldiniar’s face turned white. “They have their own will? Where is this necromancer you speak of.”

  “He is at the top of the ravine. I have him bound and injured. He won’t get away that easily.” She smirked.

  “Denias!” Woldiniar yelled out. “I need you to come and protect them. I must go with Sebial!”

  Denias pushed an undead off the boulder. He jumped down and raced over to them. His body was covered in dirt and blood. His tone filled with exhaustion. “Go then. If it ends this, then go!”

  “Everyone, do not fear! This will be over soon!” Woldiniar yelled out as he placed his hands together, the barrier vanished. He looked to Sebial. “Let us hurry.”

  Sebial nodded.

  They quickly climbed up the side.

  Sebial ran over to the man. He was inching his away across the ground on his stomach. She stabbed her sword into the dirt in front of his face. Blue flames erupted from the blade, scorching the hair on his head. He screamed and rolled away from the fire.

  “You are not allowed to leave!” Sebial shouted as she removed the blade from the ground, sheathing it.

  Woldiniar walked up behind her and looked down at the man. “Hmm, he is too young to be able to conjure up such strong undead. Where did you get such power?”

  “Woldiniar, a book was given to him by King Dalendero.” Sebial pointed at the book lying on the ground beside the necromancer.

  Woldiniar scowled. “So you made a deal with a cursed warlock. You are a fool.” He reached down and picked up the book. His eyes widened as he felt the dark aura emanating from within. “This feels like Nalenero’s magic.” He flipped the book open, the pages separated from the spine, vanishing into a plume of black smoke. “Of The Flame!” Woldiniar released the book. It disappeared before hitting the ground. “Of course, you only had his blood on it!”

  “What do you mean only his blood?” Sebial questioned while placing a foot on the necromancer’s back to stop him from squirming further away.

  “Nalenero made it to where only that person can wield it. It is dark magic indeed. Foolish child.” Woldiniar angrily approached the necromancer.

  “I, I didn’t do that! I swear! I am trying to become a necromancer that helps, not destroys the innocent! I’m trying to tell you!”

  “By the love of The Flame! Stop saying you are ‘trying’ anything! You obviously don’t know how to do anything!” Sebial yelled at the necromancer. She looked at Woldiniar. “What do we do?”

  He rubbed his chin. “It seems he is of no use to us. I do not think killing him will help either. These have been given power by Nalenero. This man made a deal with a cursed being. He was only used as a link for Nalenero’s power. I might be able to try one thing, though.” Woldiniar pointed at the necromancer. “I need his blood.”

  “I can do that.” Sebial unsheathed her sword. She swung the blade down, just nicking the side of his neck. The necromancer urinated on himself. Sebial shook her head in disgust as she stepped back from the puddle forming on the ground. “As much as I would like to kill you, we need you alive for a little while.”

  The man began to cry. Woldiniar knelt beside the man. He opened his palm, a ball filled white smoke formed. He held it near the cut. Blood began to bubble and rise up from the neck, entering the ball in his hand. The smoke quickly turned red.

  Woldiniar stood up and walked to the edge of the ravine. “Give me space, Sebial. I am a little rusty in necromancy.”

  Sebial nodded and stepped back from Woldiniar. The man continued to sob.

  “Sebial, silence him! I need to focus!”

  Sebial looked at the man. She snapped her fingers, a blue flame shot from her fingers, quickly covering the man's mouth. He jumped and began to sob more. “Quiet! It will not burn you. Unless I tell it to.”

  His eyes widened in fear. Sebial gave him a devious grin.

  Woldiniar looked at the bubble floating above his hand. He closed his eyes, stretching his arms out on both sides of him. It slowly rose above.

  “Dead souls now risen,

  your playtime not forgiven,

  return to bone within the stone.

  Breaking bonds of lessened power,

  There is another to whom will devour;

  I break the snare of Nalenero’s nightmare.

  The Flame is strong,

  Your souls will long,

  Yet, in her grace comes life’s embrace.

  Return now soldiers of forgotten soil,

  Back to your graves, back to the ravine.

  Man no longer holds memory of your lives.

  And I hold no time to give further surmise.”

  The bubble exploded, red smoke enveloped the undead, their bodies slowly disappeared into the ground. Denias and Elin lowered their swords as the people below began to cheer.

  Woldiniar opened his eyes and smiled at everyone below. He looked back at Sebial. She gasped from the sight of him. Woldiniar’s skin was covered in ancient black writings, his eyes white. He collapsed onto the ground. Sebial went to approach, but the man yelled out to her through the mask. “DO NOT touch him. He pulled them into his body. He will have to fight them, and we will have to wait to see who is the victor. I am trying to tell you, he might lose!”

  “ENOUGH!” Sebial grabbed him by the neck. A flame began to grow in her right hand. She held it close to his face. “If you continue to speak through the bounds on your face, I will burn off your tongue.”

  “Sebial!” Elin called out to her as he raced over. “Are you ok?”

  Elin looked down at the man in her grasp. Denias walked up to them. “She seems perfect.” He pointed at Woldiniar and then the necromancer. “They, on the other hand, do not.”

  Elin grabbed Sebial’s shoulder. “Release him, Sebial.”

  “He is behind the deaths of those people. He is a necromancer.” The flame in her hand grew smaller and brighter. “I told him to be quiet or else. I am just ensuring he remains that way.”

  “Sebial, if you keep condensing that flame, you could cause this cliff face to collapse once it is released,” Denias spoke with concern. “It would crush the people below as well.”

  Elin pried her hand off of the man's neck. “Denias, watch him!”

  Elin wrapped his arms around Sebial, pulling her close. The flame in her hand slowly flickered before disappearing. “Come with me, Sebial. Denias will watch them.”

  Sebial nodded.

  Elin pulled her along. Sebial squirmed from his tightened grip. “Elin, I will follow. Let go of my hand.”

  He ignored her request and squeezed tighter.

  Three

  They walked down a slope into the ravine. Elin looked over his shoulder, trying to see if the others could see them. He stopped walking and yanked her into his embrace. Sebial gasped from his sudden movement. “Sebial, look at me, please.”

  She looked up at him. He smiled. “Please, do nothing like that again. I w
as relieved when Woldiniar said he bound you. I cannot even fathom what I would do if he or his undead had hurt you.” He moved her back. Elin slid his hand under her chin.

  “Elin, I cannot stand by. I am not weak. I can fight beside you.”

  He laughed. “I know you can.” Elin leaned in closer, whispering. “I watched you, the fight with Hweniolus. You were incredible, beautiful, and fierce. I couldn’t help you then.”

  Her eyes widened, “You remember?”

  He rubbed his thumb along her lower lip. Elin leaned in, kissing Sebial on the lips. “I remember everything.”

  Sebial blushed. She grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him close, they kissed.

  “I thought back then that it would be the end of what was growing between us,” Sebial spoke between kisses.

  “Aren’t you unfortunate then? I will not let it end there.” Elin picked her up as they continued to kiss. Sebial wrapped her legs around him. Her hands tangled in his hair. One hand under her butt, the other on her back. “Consider this punishment for putting yourself in danger.”

  Sebial laughed. Elin walked towards the wall of the cliff, her body still in his arms. He carefully put Sebial against it, freeing his hand from her back. He ran his hand through her hair, pushing it behind her shoulder.

  He put his lips along her neck. Sebial let out a small moan. She went to remove his cape as he continued to suck on her neck.

  Elin paused to help her undo his shirt. They looked into each other’s eyes, their faces flushed. Elin’s cape and shirt lay on the ground. He carefully sat her on them. He whispered, “I only wish I could give you a softer bed.”

  Sebial smiled as she ran one hand along the cape. “This is perfect.”

  He crawled over to her. “Sebial?” His hand gently holding her head as he lay her down.

  She looked up at him. “What is it?”

  Elin took a deep breath, his face flushed as he stared her down. “You are beyond beautiful.” He kissed her forehead. “I promise to always stay with you.”