Threat of the Shadow Mage

AURON PACED TO AND FRO AS HE WAITED FOR ASPEN TO RETURN HOME. “Where could she be? I hope I did the right thing coming here,” he thought as he brought his fist to his mouth. Just then, he heard the door, and footsteps of anger. “Aspen?” He went over to the archway and looked over at her. “Aspen…what happened?” he asked coming towards her. She held up her hand, and he stopped. “How did mom die?” Auron stayed quiet, wondering what had brought that up. “I’ve told you before. Don’t you remember?”

“I want the truth! No more at this ‘died giving birth’ crap. Was she killed by her own father?” Auron straightened, and saw that she had been told a thing or two. He went behind her and closed the door. With one hand on the knob, and the other still on the flat of the door, he answered her, “Yes.” He heard her heave in disbelief as more tears streamed down her face. “It’s true. He didn’t know it was her until the last minute though, sweetheart.” He turned to face her. “Your mother used an enchantment that made her look like me, and then went and made it look like I turned myself in. Her head was down the entire time, so he couldn’t see her eyes. They are the only things that remain the same when you use the enchantment she did.” Aspen plucked up enough air to speak, and asked, “And what enchantment was that?”

Auron sighed. He didn’t want to show her, but he knew he had to.

They went to his hidden library, and he pulled out a book that opened to the page the enchantment was listed on as he laid it down. “It’s called Echo’s Encounter, but only a few elves know how to pull it off; your mother being one of them.” Aspen studied the page, and fingered the illustration and captions.

“You were only 16 months old when it happened.” He began. “It was like any other day; calm, and eventless. I was reading, and your mother was playing with you in your cradle. Suddenly the door flew off its hinges and scared all of us. You began to cry, and that let them know we were home. They began to pour in, but we managed to slip out the back way before they had the chance to grab us. Or me, at least. We ran and ran, but didn’t know where to go, so we kept running. They began firing nasty spells at us, but fortunately missed. You and your mother were never hit, thankfully, but I suffered a few blows to my left arm and back.” He lifted his sleeve to show her the scars on his arm, and continued his story. “After running for three miles, we found temporary cover in the woods out east, but only for a moment, for they were right behind us. Sparks and fires spout everywhere, except where we were hidden. After they seized fire, we took our leave as quickly as possible because we knew they were making their way toward us. I managed to fend off some of them, but it was very brief and there were many. Soon we found ourselves in the middle of Finnegan Forest. I stopped to turn and fight as I told your mother to continue and find shelter. Of course she refused, but I had her respect my wishes. She ran and hid, seeing the multitudes of soldiers, and I fought off the first wave. I started to head for your mother, seeing there were no more at the moment, but I was stopped by a Shadow Mage.” Here, Aspen lifted her eyes from the book, and looked at her father again. “You faced a Shadow Mage? But I thought you said you never did.”

“I actually never said anything concerning those monsters. At any rate, I fought the Mage, and she disappeared for a moment, so I ran as fast as my legs would let me to find you and your mother. As I found a clearing, I stopped, thinking she might have hid somewhere in there. I didn’t see any sign of her until she motioned from an underground hut that had been abandoned. I thought we were safe, so I told her we would lay low, but your mother said she would rather sacrifice herself and use Echo’s Encounter to save me from a terrible fate. Naturally, I said no, but then we were found by the same Mage I fought earlier appeared just outside the door. There was no mistaking that smoke that seeped through the cracks of the door. I killed her in the end, but by the time I went back for your mother, she had taken my coat and left. It was in that shack I last saw her alive.” “That’s the whole story?” Aspen asked quietly. Auron nodded. “All and truth,” he added.

“What happened then?”

Auron looked at her again.

“It wasn’t until the next day that it was confirmed that your mother was dead. I was then a wanted criminal, so I took you into hiding. King Akoff didn’t think I would stay in the kingdom, so he sent out search parties in the every direction of the four winds, but none into the villages.” “And he still hasn’t found you?” Aspen asked. “A few months after you turned twelve, he called them off, and didn’t search for me anymore. However, that was the year that you snuck out with your friend and encountered…” he stopped, not wanting to continue.

“That Shadow Mage,” Aspen finished.

Auron sighed, but nodded. “That Mage though, was not just any Mage. It was the king.”

Aspen sat up shocked. “What?”

“Somewhere along the line, he was either bitten or partook something that made him turn into what he rules as today. I don’t know who did it, and I don’t know when it happened. I can only guess that it was some time before that day in the forest.” “But if that’s true, then that means…” Aspen searched her mind, moving her eyes back and forth, and then looked at Auron. “That would mean that he’s part of the reason for all the mysterious disappearances.” “Yes. Every new Mage needs to feed on at least fifty to a hundred innocent souls before they can unlock their true powers.”

“There is already sixty people that have gone missing.”

“Then he’s that much closer to completing the phase.”

“What do you mean?”

“Completing the phase?”

Aspen nodded.

“If a Mage doesn’t get enough blood power in their system within a certain amount of time, they will either turn back with the knowledge that they are guilty of murdering innocents, or turn on their own, and feed on other Mages before they go beyond the point of no return.” Seeing the confused expression on her face, he then added, “They turn incredibly diabolical, and there is no hope in defeating them if you encounter him at that point. Or her, whichever. But, there has been no record of any such thing happening since the early eras.” He picked up the book and set it back in place.

“How is it you know all this, Father?”

Auron looked at her, but knew not to hesitate. “I know all this because I read. I read so I know what to expect if I ever encounter another Mage.” Aspen understood and was relieved since he answered right away. He started to walk out of the room, but Aspen remembered what else was said. “Has he told you what it is about you that makes him go off into another room and cry?” “Father.” She said, stopping him.

He put his hand on the frame of the door to stop, and turned his head back. “Yes dear?”

She hesitated, trying to find the right words. “What is it about me that reminds you of Mother?”

The one question he’d hoped she wouldn’t bring up. He turned back, and tucked his head as he closed his eyes.

“I mean…why do you look at me sometimes and then go into another room. Sometimes I hear you cry. Why?” she then said.

Auron sunk his head lower, but he knew that he had to answer her. “Why do you bring these things up, dear one?” he asked putting his free palm across his eyes.

“After the dance, Tex pulled me off to the trees. We spoke, and then started arguing and things were brought up that hadn’t been brought up inside the house.”

“And what did he tell you about what you ask of?”

“All he asked was if you had told me why that is. Nothing more.” She said with a hint of sorrow in her voice. Silence fell between the two of them for a long while, but then Auron spoke up. “I look at you…and sometimes, when you’re simply looking out the window, you look so much like your mother. You inherited her beauty, her outward appearance. The only thing you have inherited from me is spirit. It is almost like your mother was cloned, and you are her. The way you look out the window from the living room, the way you laugh, how your eyes shine…you are your mother’s child. There’s no doubt about it.” He lifted his head and turned sharply. “I look at you and am reminded of all the good times we had together when we were younger, and how the love we had for one another was unbreakable. I was a fool for not realizing how fragile life was, and took it for granted. And for that, I suffered the death of your mother.” Aspen began to cry again, and Auron turned to lean on the bookshelf that was placed next to the door. She then stood and walked over to him.

He just stared at the ceiling above and sighed as he tried to fight back the tears that were burning his eyes. Aspen got in front of him, and then said, “Father.” Auron sniffed, and looked down at her gentle face. She lifted her hand, and placed her palm on his cheek. This reminded him of the vision he had earlier, and closed his eyes, which caused tears to jump from his lower lashes. Aspen allowed him to lean his head into her hand, and she just looked at him, trying to offer comfort. “Catalina.” He whimpered quietly, and Aspen had an idea of why he said it. “Was that her name?” she asked carefully. Auron opened his eyes, realizing what was said, but he nodded, and Aspen rubbed her thumb along a range of his cheek.

She gave him a look that told him that she understood, but she was still disappointed that he had not told her all this sooner. So after another moment passed, she gently slipped her hand away from him, lowered her gaze, and solemnly walked out to go to her room. Auron watched her until his neck was craned, and then he turned back. He knew that the two of them wouldn’t speak for a few weeks before her heart healed. Gathering himself together, he turned down the lights, and left the room to go into the den where he had been before.

As sure as circumstance had it, the two of them didn’t speak for quite a while. The only interaction between the two of them was the passing of one another in the hall or at a meal. Auron dared not speak, for he feared that if he did, he would either see Aspen explode, or he would say the wrong thing; so he remained silent.

Aspen would spend multitudes of her time sitting on a chair that was placed next to the window, be sitting with one foot propped up on the seat with her elbow on her knee, and her fist under her chin; just thinking, and wondering of all the reasons why, and if she could bring herself to forgive him.

Auron? Auron would remain in the den most of his time, reading, but not getting further than half a page without looking towards Aspen’s room to think of how she was feeling. Betrayed? Hurt? Yes and yes. “Would it have been better if I had told her earlier? This rift between us wouldn’t be here now if I had told her,” he would always think.

More time passed than Auron expected. A month had passed, and they hadn’t said a word to each other. Not a single motion to speak, no body language, no telepathy, nothing.

A very similar thing was happening at Tex’s house, but not because anything had been said. His parents began to worry about him because he was usually up beat and social all the time. “Do you know what’s wrong with him?” his mother would ask his father, but he would answer the same way every time. “No. I would think you would be the one to know and deal with this kind of thing.” “Just because I’m the mother doesn’t mean- oh forget it. It’s not worth it. Why don’t you go and talk to him?”

“Me? Why me?”

“Because it is also the father’s duty to spend time with their younglings; especially if they are going through an important stage of life.” Kraizon could not argue with her, so he finally picked himself up and went to Tex.

Tex was in his room doing some small magic tricks on his bed to entertain himself when he came to the door. Kraizon knocked, and Tex stopped, but didn’t turn to look at who had knocked. “Enter,” he said, still not turning.

A little surprised, Kraizon entered and sat across from Tex on the bed. “Son?” he said.

Tex still didn’t turn to face him, and Kraizon sighed. “Tex. You’ve been acting strangely this past month, and we want to know what’s going on.”

“Why? Is Mom here, too?” Tex kind of snapped. “No. It’s just me. Tex, can you tell me what’s wrong?” Tex just about snapped - almost saying what all was on his mind - but decided to only say the part that concerned Aspen. “It’s nothing.” Kraizon knew that that answer meant that he was having girl troubles. “Is it Aspen?” he asked.

Tex hung his head, but said, “Yes.”

“What about her?”

He finally turned, but just enough to where he could make eye contact. “I pulled her aside after the dance and expressed my feelings about her, but she…she,” he stopped, sighing, and hung his head again.

“Was she not ready for you?”

“No, that’s just it. She doesn’t even like me when all this time I thought that she did. She would give me looks that made it look like she was admiring me, and we’d spend so much time together when we were younger, but when she said that…” he stopped again, not wishing to continue.

Kraizon understood where he was going, and finished the thought. “She tore you in two.”

Tex looked up at him and nodded.

Kraizon, knowing things others did not, however, decided to try and raise a hope. “Well,” he began. “If I know Aspen, then she will most likely come to her senses and realize that you’re the only one here that’s meant for her.” Tex looked at him curiously. “How do you know Aspen?”

“Oh, I have my ways.”

Tex then had a thought. “Yah, because you’re a Shadow Mage.”

“You think so?” he then asked.

Kraizon gave a very sly look, and smiled. “Oh, I know so.” A brief silence fell between them, and then Kraizon hopped up. “Well, I better get back to helping your mother in the kitchen. This was a good talk. I appreciate you expressing your feelings, but don’t worry. Aspen will come around before you know it.” Tex was silent as he left the room. “You never help mom in the kitchen,” Tex remembered, thinking that he was up to no good.