Threat of the Shadow Mage

AS AKOFF CAME DOWN ON ONE KNEE, HE LIFTED HIS HEAD SO THAT Aspen would look into his eyes once more. “She is as her mother was.” He thought before he stood again to walk over to Auron. After landing on his stomach, he gasped for air, and as Akoff came to his side, he looked up wearily with fear in his eyes. Akoff squatted down so Auron could hear him better, and put his wrists on his knees. “That daughter of yours is going to be mine after today, Auron. With your life, and her as my new daughter, your treason will be discharged.” He stood, and took his sword in both hands as he held it downward towards Auron’s heart. “Fair Foreign, Auron.” Aspen couldn’t bear to see her father pierced, so she went by instinct, and her body wound up making something she thought she was not capable of creating, and shot it at Akoff. He looked up as he saw the light, and it ended up forcing him back. “D-ah!” he yelled as he covered his eyes with his arm. Then he had the cloud come back around him, and he took to the air.

She lowered her hands, out of breath, and met her father in the middle of the field. “Thank you, Aspen,” he said, and hearing that, she thought that she was no longer in trouble, though she couldn’t have been more wrong. “But don’t think that excuses you for sneaking out and going into the woods before dark,” he said, still somewhat out of breath. Aspen hung her head as he passed her to examine Marissa. Auron placed his hand on her head, and then his fingers just below her jaw bone. Marissa was no longer with them. He sighed, closed her eyes, and began saying an elvish prayer that asked for her soul to be spared so that she may rest in peace in her family’s memory.

Aspen turned, hearing this, and felt a heavy load of guilt being placed on her shoulders. Finishing the prayer, Auron took her up and started back to return her home. Of course Marissa’s family grieved and mourned, but when Aspen returned home with Auron, she was in for a long lecture. To her surprise, however, she was just told to go up to her room and think about what she’d done.

Three days had passed before she came back down. She had not eaten, she had not slept, and she had not drunk anything during all that time. “Dad?” she said hesitantly as she rounded the corner to his room that had been down stairs. Auron looked up from his history book, and she stepped to the side so she’d be in the middle of the doorway. “I am sorry for my actions three days past. I had just wanted to go out for I had been locked up indoors for years at a time now, and therefore I was not thinking straight. My sincerest apologies to you, for I have not honored you the way I should have.” Auron sat back in his chair. “May you grant me your forgiveness, father?” she asked gently. Auron looked down, and then held out his arms, motioning for her to come. Aspen did so, and curled up in his lap as he gently hugged her. “I grant you forgiveness, child,” he said as he put his chin in her head.

Afterwards, Aspen gave her sincerest regards to Marissa’s family, and was granted forgiveness, though they made it clear that they felt it was their fault for allowing her to go. Feeling the burden lifted, Aspen then honored her father’s wishes for the next few years that passed. Then came the day this story started.

It was early morning and a young elven girl decided to go out and enjoy the glorious rays of the rising sun, and dance in what was left of the moonlight. The trees of silver and blue seemed to dim their glow as the densing rays of the sun fell upon their smooth skinned bark. Aspen danced in the luminous beauty of light as she spun in circles. A gentle mist turned into the tiniest rain drops as the sun burst it apart, and fed the grass its daily dew. Aspen then gracefully fell on her back as she let the sun blanket her with warmth, and the grass hug her with the coolness of the morning air.

“Aspen!” her father called from the house. She lifted her head to look towards the house, but remained lying down. “Don’t go too far now!”

“I won’t Bapa! I think I’ll just lie here all day!” Auron laughed, and went back inside to review the history of the Shadow Mages to see just how powerful they are or could be. Aspen put her head back down, and watched as the sky became blue, and the few clouds took shape. “I could lay here forever and have not a care in the world.” An evil pair of eyes hid in the distance and watched as she relaxed and enjoyed the sounds of nature. He snarled quietly, and drew back as he stood straight again. A hand went on his shoulder as he started to take his prey. “Not yet. She is not our target. We wait until the most opportune moment. Then we take our prey. You remain hidden and keep me posted on their where-abouts.” The first nodded, though he wished he could continue his deed, and the second left as the first looked back again.

Soon Aspen grew bored and went inside to find something better to do. “I thought you said you were going to stay there all day,” Auron teased. “Well, staring at the sky made me kind of sleepy.” She replied, and each of them carried on with what they set to do. Aspen went up into her room, and ended up finding herself gazing out the window. Aspen had her arms folded on the sill of it, and her chin was propped on her wrists. Soon she put her head sideways, making her cheek rest on her forearm. The sky was blue, and perfect; very few clouds were seen, but when they were spotted, they looked as if they’d been painted there. Aspen sighed in admiration, but then something caught her eye.

A quick glance of a reflective ray, and then a movement of shadows is what she saw. She lifted her head, and followed the shadow based on the movement of nature, but then it stopped. Had it seen her, or was it just a deer that stopped and went the other way? Aspen knew not, but seeing the reflective ray of light (and it not being that of the sun), she took no chances and pulled herself in from the window.

“Blast it.” The figure said under his voices. “What did you do this time?” asked another. “I think I’ve been spotted.”

“Oh great; just go on out and warn them that we’re here with a bright red flag, why don’t ya?”

“Boss is not going to like this.”

“No, really? Who’s supposed to be the one standin’ there in the first place?”

“Uh…”

“My point exactly. Let’s go before Auron comes out and discovers who we are, or more importantly, why we’re here.”

Auron was still reading when he heard a rush of footsteps coming down the stairs. “Bapa?” Aspen called as she reached the last step. Auron stood, and went to her. “What’s wrong?” Aspen cantered to his side and looked at him with frightened eyes. “Aspen, tell me what’s wrong.” She swallowed as she caught her breath. “I went to my room, and then gazed out the window…I was just staring at the sky, admiring the paint like clouds when something glistened in the sun. I looked at it, but saw nothing but movement in the shadows. I followed it with my eyes, but then it stopped, and it glistened a reddish green color, and I knew it wasn’t normal…so I hid.” Just then, a knock on the door sounded.

Auron held Aspen’s shoulder as he looked towards the door. “Get behind me.” He told her, but she dove behind the chair in which he sat previously. Auron then slowly made his way to the door as he put one hand behind his back, beginning to create a spell. Another knock sounded as he reached it, and he turned to make sure Aspen was still hidden. Looking back, and slowly grabbing the knob, he drew breath, and closed his eyes for a moment. As he forced them open, he threw open the door as he lifted his hand with the spell. “Whoa! Hey, hey!” Auron stopped, seeing it was just the neighbor. He lowered the spell and shook his hand so that it would dissipate. Auron held his head down, and looked at him with disbelief. “Tex?” he asked. “Yah.” Tex stood as he put his hands down from the “don’t hurt me” position. “I’m sorry, I just thought…” “No, it’s alright.”

“Is there something you need?”

“I just came over to ask if you wanted to join the small, family held festival tomorrow evening. It’ll be my family’s treat, and we’d all be glad to have you.”

“Aspen, you can come out. It’s just Tex. Family festival, huh?”

“ Yup. It’s nothing big; just my housed family and a few friends are going to be there.”

“Is it formal?”

“If you want it to be. We’re still trying to think of the theme.” Aspen popped out from under Auron’s right arm that was propped on the door. “Hey, Aspen. How are you doing?”

“Hey, Tex. I’m well. Did you say festival?”

“Eh, well it’s more of a rather large get-together.”

“And did I hear you say you were still undecided on the theme?” Tex just smiled as he squinted his eyes. “Alright, I’ll tell you what. If you agree to challenge me for best of skills, I will let you come and help plan the whole thing. That is, if it’s okay with your dad.” Aspen immediately turned to Auron, and folded her hands in the pleading manner. “Oh please, Bapa? I won’t ask for anything else this week. Can I please, Bapa, please?” Auron looked at her with a face with no expression.

Though it was true that Tex was only older than her by 3 years, he had to take things into consideration. Aspen’s hands unfolded, and her face softened as he remained silent. He then looked at Tex, and gave him a message through telepathy. Tex nodded and assured him that there were no doubts about what was said. “Alright, I’ll let you go, but only if you promise to not go overboard.” Aspen threw her arms around him, and thanked him over and over. “Thank you daddy.” She released him and then said, “I won’t disappoint you.” “How can you disappoint me when both you and Tex’s brain powers are at work?” Aspen just smiled, and then looked at Tex. “Race you!” he said as he dashed off. “Hey, no fair! Wait for me!” she called out at him, and did the same. Auron watched as they raced, and then he went back inside with the knowledge that she was safe. For now.

So the two of them, along with Tex’s family, planned and planned for the upcoming festival. They brought up ideas not even the most creative of elves could bring up. “Well, what if we put the magic play center here.” Tex’s sister asked, pointing to a certain spot on the family land map. “Yah, I think that could work and we can put the challenge arena, or corral rather,” “Hey now,” Aspen laughed, and continued her sentence. “As I was saying, we can put that here so that way we have enough room for socializing and dancing.” The plan was good, and everybody agreed on it. So…they went to work, building the different areas of the family fest. Every now and again, Aspen would catch a glance of Tex looking over at her, but not in an admiring manner. He’d smile to make her think otherwise, but they both knew something wasn’t right.

Soon the next evening came, and Auron waited for Aspen at the bottom of the stairs, looking his finest. “Aspen! Come along, we’ll be late for your own party.” “Be down in a moment father.” Auron placed his elbow on the edge of the railing as he waited. Just before he was about to tell her he was leaving, he looked up and saw her in a dress that made her as beautiful as the heavens. The tiniest movement she’d make would cause her to glitter. Her long, black hair was down and curled; her eyes danced in the light with rhinestones placed just under the very edge of her eye and crawled back another inch and a half. She’d done a good job in doing herself up. “Do you think it’s too much?” she asked modestly as she put her hands behind her back. Auron just smiled, and motioned her to come down with his head.

As she reached him, he took her in the crook of his arm, and started out with her. “You look lovely. A lot like your mother actually.” He stopped mid-step, and Aspen caught herself. She looked into his eyes and saw that they were glossed with beginning signs of tears. “Dad?” she asked carefully, but he didn’t respond. A memory took over the vision of the present, and Auron stood as he watched as Catalina spun in laughter. Though she was blurred, he could tell that she was wearing the dress Aspen had on. Her long brown hair flew behind her as she stopped, and the dress swished around her legs as she looked at him. “Catalina.” He heard himself say, and as she got closer, she lifted her hand to place it upon his cheek, but then the memory blurred to where he couldn’t see her anymore, and it spiraled out of sight; restoring present vision. “Auron!” said Aspen as she shook his arm. He turned and looked at her; she seemed to have a gentle glow about her, but her eyes were soft with concern. Auron just smiled and rubbed the top of her hand. Aspen smiled relieved, and walked on with her father.