Shadow of Hope

by Elsye Harwood

  “Ci?” she asked quietly, clearly recognising him. But before he could even think how to respond, she’d slipped away again back into unconsciousness. But Cimon continued to watch her in horror.

  Slowly realisation dawned on him as his frightened and confused mind gradually made the connections. Eventually the full scale of the horror hit him, and he realised that he’d attacked Callie in their own home and Argus had attacked him as he would any predator, which could explain why the dog had growled at him ever since he’d come home.

  But he couldn’t understand how this could have happened. All he knew was that he’d woken up in the forest, which was surprising as he’d had no reason to go there, and that he’d deliberately lied to Callie to avoid mentioning it. Terror struck him again as he remembered his behaviour and his acceptance of the differences he’d experienced since waking. What it meant was too horrible to comprehend.

  He got up from the bed. Callie wasn’t safe around him anymore and she needed help as quickly as possible. He needed help as well and the best person to ask for assistance in this situation was Uma. Maybe she could help Callie and hopefully she might be able to save him as well. Deciding that, he reached down, picked up his unconscious wife and carried her out of the house and raced as quickly as possible across the village to Uma’s with Argus following behind at a safe distance.

  Chapter Three

  Uma was waiting. Something had happened, she could feel it. Something bad had come to the village. Carefully she began to gather items together for her bag, but as she didn’t know what had occurred it was difficult to prepare. Soon, someone would come and she’d be called out to help. But until then she was powerless.

  The urgent knock on the door made her jump even though she’d been expecting it.

  “It’s open. Come in,” she called and turned just in time to see the door swing in with some force behind it. Standing in the open doorway was the young shepherd, Cimon, holding in his arms a woman who she presumed was his young wife Callie. Only as he entered her house, she realised that it wasn’t Cimon any longer.

  “Please, Uma, can you help us? I’ve hurt Callie. I didn’t mean to.” His voice trailed off and he looked beseechingly at her. Uma stared for a long time. The white hunter had returned and made the boy like her, that much was obvious, but then she’d cruelly let him go home to his wife and the inevitable had happened. But the fact that Cimon had brought her here was unexpected, and probably not part of the Rabisu’s plan.

  “Lay her down on the bed,” she told him deciding at that moment to thwart the creature’s plan as much as she could and to find out if maybe she could help in any way.

  She heard the sigh of relief come from the boy as he gratefully carried his wife over to the bed, she also noticed the dog slink in behind, walking with a painful limp. From the state of Cimon’s clothes, she realised that there had been a fight which the Rabisu had won, but the dog was still protecting its mistress as best it could.

  Warily she went over to the bed, and regarded the young creature standing next to it. He looked up at her; already she could see the changes to the shepherd’s face. His skin no longer looked weathered from years of exposure to the elements. Instead it looked smoother and paler so that for the first time in years he actually looked his age.

  “Do you still need to feed?” she asked. His eyes widened as he registered her question, then he looked down and shook his head. Clearly ashamed he looked up and met her stare.

  “No,” he admitted, “not anymore.”

  She nodded. “But you will.” In response, he dropped his gaze again, not denying the fact. But it meant that at least for the time being he would be safe to be around. Uma could talk with him later but right now she had to help Callie. Carefully she placed her hand against her neck. There was still a pulse; it was faint, but steady.

  Uma took her hand away and looked at what had once been Cimon. “She’s weak, but you did the right thing bringing her here. It might take a while, but she should recover, though I don’t know if she’ll ever have her full strength again.”

  For a moment he lost his composure as a mixture of relief and guilt crossed his face, but he pulled himself together and thanked her. As he was no longer a threat, Uma allowed him to sit with her whilst she went to gather some herbs to make a tincture for the girl.

  From the other side of the room she could hear him talking to her, apologising again and again for what he’d done. Whilst he was distracted, Uma quietly approached the bed and stood on the other side waiting for him to notice that she was there.

  He glanced up and then stepped back. His dark eyes widened in terror at the thin bronze object in her hands. His gaze flickered to her, and then back to the bronze weapon. From his reaction it was evident that he knew instinctively what it was meant for.

  “What is it?” he asked finally, as she made no move to use it or to put it away. Uma gauged his reaction; it showed all too human behaviour. His bleached aura showed genuine signs of fear. That could be because he was still young and still changing or there might be another more complex reason for it.

  “You’ve never seen it before, yet you know that it’s used to kill creatures like you.” He continued to stare at the spike, but she could see him realising the truth in her words. “You know that I have to stop you doing this again, don’t you?”

  He stared straight into her eyes. “Have I become what that woman was?” he asked, the desolation and sadness in his voice once again human.

  “Tell me what happened,” she said, avoiding his question.

  He shrugged. “I don’t remember. I woke earlier in the forest. I had no idea why I was there. So I went home and Argus,” he indicated the dog, “growled and barked at me, he wouldn’t let me in. Callie had to tie him up. We ate and Callie told me that she’d spoken with you today. We kissed, but then…” he stopped and glanced over to his wife, “I attacked her.” He looked at Uma. “It was inside me and I couldn’t fight it, but I didn’t want to fight it either.”

  Uma watched as tears came to his eyes and he bit his lip. She’d known Cimon from birth. She’d brought him into the world as she’d helped Callie and most of the other youngsters in the village. The young shepherd wouldn’t knowingly hurt anyone. He was one of the gentlest and kindest people she knew, and one of the bravest, often going to fend off the wolves with just his bow and faithful dog.

  “Cimon, I’m afraid I have no choice but to do what is best for you and this village. From your description, the hunter’s been back and has made you one like her. I don’t know why she chose you. But, she did and she’ll be waiting for you. I can’t let you go with her. If I do you’ll become a killer, taking thousands of innocent lives without any compunction or regret.”

  “But can’t you do anything to help me? To stop this happening?” he asked quietly

  She shook her head. “The help I can offer is to end this now, before you lose yourself entirely. There’s another soul inside you, one that’s been sent to hell for its evil deeds. Soon it’ll be fighting with you for control of your body. I can spare you that.”

  He stared at her for a moment and she waited in silence for his answer. Finally he nodded. “Thank you, Uma. But please can I say goodbye to Callie?”

  Uma bowed her head. “Of course, I’ll be here preparing a tincture for her. Don’t try to leave.”

  He met her eyes. “You have my word.” Uma nodded and walked away from the bed to her preparation area.

  Carefully she steeped the roots in the boiling water and ground down the other herbs. Callie would need constant tending and care if she was to pull through. What worried Uma was that she might not want to live when she discovered what had happened to her husband. But they would deal with that when the time came. As she worked she also kept her eye surreptitiously on the other side of the room.

  It was nearly time to do the deed, and the herbs were almost ready. Quietly she prepared the cup of water and then watched the couple on the bed
.

  The aura around Cimon should have been clear white by now, the human colours signifying emotions, bleached out as his humanity faded. She’d assumed the fear she’d seen earlier had been the last vestiges of his humanity. But now she wasn’t so sure, his aura still wasn’t white, instead it was gently tinged with pink, the colour of love. There was no doubt that somehow he was still responding in a human fashion.

  Carefully she studied the glow around him, and under closer scrutiny she realised that just next to his body there was an area of bright colour, it was pink now, but also tinged with grey and a few strokes of a darker blue. These were human colours, a Rabisu wouldn’t be showing that, even if they were only hours old, the inner aura would be completely white.

  Uma took a deep breath; she might have to rethink the situation. Cimon heard her and looked around. She saw his colours change again as he steeled himself. She continued to watch and think as he said his final goodbyes and kissed Callie, on the forehead she noted, obviously not wanting to kiss her lips. Then he stood and let go of her hand and came over to her table.

  A Rabisu would never willing give themselves up, but here he was, coming like a lamb to the slaughter, which was typical of the brave, good man she knew. This wasn’t Rabisu behaviour. Something else was going on here, and maybe there was another solution.

  “Do you love your wife?” she asked suddenly.

  Cimon seemed taken aback at that but answered. “Of course I do. I’d do anything for her. Which is why you have to ...”

  She cut him off. “But do you still feel the same way? Think about it. Have your feelings changed, and you just don’t want to admit it or do you still genuinely love your wife?”

  He stared at her for a moment. Contemplating what she was saying to him. She watched his human aura as well to see what he was really feeling. Finally he spoke.

  “Nothing’s changed. I still love her. Shouldn’t I be capable of love then? Will that change as well in time?” Uma could see that he wasn’t lying and that the idea that he’d lose his love for Callie was a terrible prospect to him.

  “Cimon. I’m a wielder, someone who’s trained to kill the sort of creature that you’ve become. Over the years we’ve found ways to identify these Rabisu and we know how to end their existence.

  “These beings need to feed from the living to survive. At the moment, you’ve no idea what you are, or what you’re capable of. Everything you’ve done or felt so far has come from instinct. In many ways you’re still innocent.”

  “I don’t feel innocent, “he answered. She smiled sympathetically.

  “I should kill you, but I believe that there’s still hope for you.” He looked sceptical. “Let me explain. For whatever reasons you didn’t kill, though you wanted to. Something stopped you from completely draining Callie’s life and then you brought her here. I’ve been watching, and there’s a part of you that’s still human.” A pained expression flashed across his face. “I can see it in the colours that emit from your body. A white hunter is white, that’s all, no other colour. But you’ve colours close to your body and at times your whole whiteness is stained with another colour. A true Rabisu wouldn’t have this.

  “I’ve never seen this before, but I have heard of it. Some Rabisu have been known to retain their humanity and go on to use their power to heal and help others. Your breath can be used to heal. We can tell these types from others because they have green and gold in their aura. Some wielders will still kill them just because they are Rabisu, but many will let them live. You could be one of those, I don’t know for sure, but it seems likely. You could use what has happened to you to help others.”

  He seemed confused and looked away, then back at her. “But you said that there’s another soul inside me, one that could change the person I am, and that in time I would kill and enjoy killing.”

  “Come with me,” she told him, leading him back to the bed where Callie lay. Tenderly she lifted Callie’s head and gently poured some of the herb water down her throat. Amazingly she managed it without spilling a drop. Uma looked up at Cimon who was watching her closely.

  “You still love her. That’s wrong, you see. That emotion should’ve been swept away when the souls merged together and you tried to kill her. Your love’s stronger than the creation process and your hunger combined. It’ll be stronger than the lost soul now inhabiting your body.”

  She put her hand onto Callie’s chest over her heart. Then moved her other hand and placed it over Cimon’s chest. “Do you feel that?”

  Cimon nodded. “I can feel her heart beating inside me as well as my own. How’s that possible?” he asked, wide-eyed in wonder.

  Uma smiled. “It doesn’t matter, just enjoy the fact it’s possible and that you feel it. If you didn’t love her, you wouldn’t feel anything. This proves my point. The two of you are linked. I’ve often thought it and now I know.

  “You and Callie have suffered in the brief time that you’ve been together and through no fault of your own. The sadness you both suffered over the loss of your child has made you closer. Sometimes, Cimon, the gods decide to test us. And I believe that in this life, the gods were testing the two of you.”

  She watched him as she removed her hands from their bodies and smiled at Cimon’s shock that he could still feel Callie’s heartbeat even without her hand there.

  “You’ll always feel it whilst she lives and you’ll feel it again when she comes back,” she told him.

  “Uma? What are you talking about? I don’t understand what you’re saying. Aren’t you going to kill me?”

  Uma smiled patiently. “I’ll explain. Your regret and confusion are genuine and I’ve come to the conclusion that you still retain, despite everything, some small amount of humanity.

  “I’ve wondered why that could be, and knowing you both as I do, I believe it’s because the gods have a purpose for you both in this life. The creature has interfered with this plan so I believe, somehow, the gods have conspired to see that in time their plan will fall into place.

  “I’ve heard it said that Rabisu can find salvation if they are killed by people who forgive them for what they’ve done. Callie, if she lives, could free you from this. You will die, but your humanity will be restored. The gods can be kind, so maybe they will grant you both another lifetime together. But if Callie isn’t strong enough to pull through, then I believe that you must find her again. The gods will ensure that she’s reborn in another body. You must seek her out and beg for her forgiveness then when you are sure, she has to be persuaded to finish this for you.

  “If I kill you now, I’ll stop this happening as I’ll condemn you to hell with the damned soul that’s merged itself with you. You don’t deserve that. You’re a good man and you deserve to try and find your way through this. From what I’ve seen tonight, I believe that you’ve the potential to use this for the good of others. You still have compassion and humanity inside you. If the gods are kind, they may allow you both another lifetime together as they intended for this one.”

  He shook his head then and sunk down onto the bed. “I don’t understand. How will I find her? Why can’t I stay here now if I’m still human?”

  Uma came around and touched his shoulder. “Over time, you’ll change and fully merge with this new soul. It’ll take time, many years in fact, and you’ll have to learn to manage the hunger inside you.

  “This creature, though I hate to say it, is your best chance at surviving. She’ll teach you all that you need to know. In time you’ll be ready to choose your own path.”

  Cimon shook his head sadly, his distaste and anxiety showing on his face.

  “Rabisu can be killed with this spike. It severs the fused souls and sends them both down to hell. But if the souls are split with love, they’ll be redeemed and free to continue their process of growth.

  “I believe that in time, either in this life or another, Callie, or whoever she becomes, can do this for you. But she has to forgive you to free you from this ex
istence. Then sometime later, I’m sure that the gods will see to it that you have the chance to continue together along the path they’d decided for you in the first place. Though it may take many years, they’ll do whatever they can to see it come to its fruition. They don’t like their plans being thwarted.”

  “But what if I enjoy killing? Or she doesn’t love me?”

  Uma patted his shoulder. She noticed that the skin through the tears was already perfectly healed and smooth again. “Trust in the gods, Cimon. They’ve helped you so far. Remember that they’re on your side and that you are a good man. It’s more than likely that you’ll be stronger than the other soul.”

  She looked at him then added, “And be wary of wielders, they’ll try to kill you, even if you do live according to the law of the gods. To some of them you’re a monster and deserve to die.”

  He stared at her. “But you won’t?”

  Uma shook her head. “No, even though hundreds might die before you know yourself again, I believe that the right thing to do is to let you go. If you’re the man I think you are, you might even save some lives before you finally find the love and peace you deserve.”

  He stared at her, his eyes eloquently conveying his fear and anxiety.

  “Go, Cimon, say good bye to Callie, promise her that you will find her again. Listen to that faint trace of a heartbeat and know that whilst you hear it she’s still alive. But you have to go soon.” She left him on the bed to give him some space and time to say farewell.

  Uma distracted herself for as long as she could but eventually she looked over. He was still with Callie whispering quietly.

  “It’s time,” she told him. Gracefully he rose from the bed and looked over at her. For a last moment he stayed regarding her, and then with a nod of understanding, he slipped quietly out of the house and into the darkness beyond. The dog stood up and watched him go, then it looked back at her and again after its old master; it wasn’t sure whether to follow or not. Uma called out to the dog, and for a moment it hesitated, then it made up its mind and came over to her and allowed her to feel its leg to find the cause of the limp.