• Shade ~part 2
    By Ellie Orrell
    (Some characters used with permission from a friend)


    “A fool am I?” Another voice came from the darkness, cold and cruel. “A man should be cautious of what he says.”

    More laughter, derisive this time, and shockingly close to Nicolai
    .
    “How lucky for me, then, that I am not a man.” Came the mocking whisper in his ear.

    With a snarl, Nicolai whirled, a small ball of light illuminating the room dimly. He found himself facing his sister, but no one else. He had doused all the light in the room when he dramatically snuffed the fire, and in fear the simple villagers had fled. Many people are afraid of the dark.

    Nicolai’s lips twisted, and he turned back around. Directly before him was the figure of a young, thin, pale man with black hair. He looked exactly like the boy Sommer, but for his eyes. Like Sommer, the irises were ink dark, but the one who stood here now had bright red pupils, eerie to look at. He grinned at Nicolai, who scowled back.

    “You press your luck, Kage. My patience wears thin.”

    Kage laughed, pulling himself effortlessly onto a table, resting his chin on his palm as he contemplated the siblings. “Do I? I hardly think so. For you see my dear Nicolai,” he stood up, “you, like little Sommer, have yet to know the answer to a vital question…” His body melted into a black pool which slithered to the floor, stopping behind the blond and expanding into a vaguely human form. It hung its arms over Nicolai’s shoulders, resting its head on his shoulder, close to his ear, cockiness glinting in its white holes that were its eyes. “How do you kill a shadow?”

    Nicolai tolerated his closeness, smirking to himself. “True, I cannot kill you, you vile shade,” he brought the faintly glowing sphere closer to Kage’s shadowy body, “but I can send you away.”

    Kage hissed, flinching away from the light. He pulled away from Nicolai, solidifying next to the silent Locke. She looked over at him with wide eyes; she didn’t dare speak. In a suicidal act of boldness, Kage slipped his arm around her just and Nicolai turned to face him.

    The reaction was almost worth the risk. His lips thinned and his eyes grew outraged. He began visibly shaking with barely-in-check rage at the sight of that…thing defiling his sister so.

    “What…do you think you are doing, worm?” He said in a dangerous voice. “Get your lowlife, miserable hands off my sister.”

    “I?” Kage asked, eyebrow tilted, “I am the worm? I am the lowlife?” He gave a short laugh. “It is you who are vile and disgusting. I meant what I said before. You are nothing but a sister-obsessed freak.”

    The laughter that came from Nicolai’s lips was bone-chilling. “Oh yes, a freak. How well you must know that word.” He fixed his gaze on Kage’s. “It is a word you surely hold dear to your heart. You are a leech, a parasite latching onto something you only wish you could have. You pride yourself on not being a man, but you fail to see how that is a joke” He surveyed Kage carefully. “There is nothing about that is manly. You are an aberration, an insult to nature itself.”

    These words struck Kage like a lightning bolt. His body with rigid with indignation, and he launched himself at Nicolai. His body passed through his and he melted into the ground once more. The pool of black split into three identical circles, and his voice came from the air.

    “Catch me, and I’ll make you eat those words.” His tone was light and highly mocking as the three shot off through the tavern and out the door, Kage’s laughter trailing after them. Once outside, they split into different directions. Nicolai snarled and ran after the forms, unthinking in his anger.

    Locke sighed from within the tavern. She knew her brother was…excessive when it came to her protection, yet she had no power to stop him. He only wanted her safe after all. She sighed again and sat in a chair, creating her own small glowing orb for comfort in the dark. The room seemed so large and empty after the heat and anger of the men’s words. The young priestess sat in silent contemplation for several minutes, worried about her brother and for Kage.

    She didn’t notice when her own shadow stretched out and ran up the wall, then split in two. One half returned to her, and the other formed into a man’s shape, which stepped from the wall and fully twisted to become Kage. He looked around and gave a low whistle, and she jumped with a start.

    “Well, that was unnerving.”

    “Kage?!” Locke stood, bewildered. “But what about…” She glanced out the open tavern door.
    “A trick dear Locke to send you brother on a goose chase and therefore get him out of the room. In his blind rage, he will follow those things for a long time before he figures it out. And I’ll be long gone by then.” He looked at her and held his arms invitingly. She gladly fell in them, hugging him tight.

    “I am so sorry for my brother Kage. He has no control on his temper.”

    He sympathetically stroked her fair hair. “Shh. I know. You always apologize for him.”
    “It’s just…we’ve been through so much. You know that. He doesn’t want to lose me.” She looked up at him, and he smiled kindly and chuckled.

    “I know that too. Nicolai is Nicolai, Locke. Your brother is not going to change any time soon, and we have no power to change that. I don’t want to waste time worrying about what we cannot change.”

    She moved on. “How are you Kage?”

    “I’m all right. It is hard sometimes though. I may mock his efforts, but at times, I do wish Sommer would find a way to separate us. Nicolai was right. I live half a life, and it is not mine to live. I was never meant to exist in this world.” He rested his cheek on her hair and sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if the gods are mocking me.”

    “Don’t talk like that Kage. You just said not to worry about what cannot change. You exist. It is not important how or why. What’s important is that you do.”

    “True, but if things were different, we would have more than…this. Sometimes it’s not enough to just be.”

    Locke turned in his arms, her back to his chest. She glanced out the window. “It looks like a nice night.”

    “It’s just another night. Endless, dark, and lifeless.”

    Locke scowled in a pouty sort of way. “That’s not true at all.” She grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the door, despite Kage’s protests.

    Behind the tavern was a small wood, and it was to there that Locke dragged him. She stopped in a little grove.

    “What are we doing here? If we’re not careful, your brother will find us.”

    “Quiet.” She glanced around a moment, then pointed into the dark of the trees. “Look.” Her dainty little finger was pointed at a rustling bush nearby. A fox poked its head out from it, scented them, and disappeared back into the bush. The finger whirled, pointing higher. “Over there.” An owl was swooping silently through the sky. “And there.” A family of hedgehogs were making their way across the path ahead of them. Locke turned and grabbed Kage’s hands. “Now, close your eyes and listen.” He smiled and did so. A symphony of distant crickets was heard. The music of the night. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “See? It’s teeming with life.”

    He laughed and spread his hands helplessly. “All right, I get your point.”

    “Good.”

    “You know, that was oddly forceful of you.”

    “I know. I just don’t like self-pity.”

    “Was I really that pathetic?” He gathered her in his arms again.

    She buried her face in his chest and smiled. “Yes. Yes you were.”

    “Then it is my turn to be sorry. I didn’t mean to be so self-deprecating. It’s just so…frustrating.”

    “I know. Just remem-“ She was cut off by a frustrated roar from off in the distance. Kage grimaced.

    “I guess he caught on sooner than I thought. I have to go Locke.” He released his hold on her. “I hope I see you soon.”

    With that, he disappeared into the shadows once more, speeding as fast as he could away from there. As always when he saw Locke, his heart was heavy and his mind was full. It was hard to leave her, knowing she was so sheltered by Nicolai’s protective arm, but he dared not linger. Silently, he wished her well and hoped he could find a way to someday free her from his care. It would not be an easy task.

    When Nicolai returned to the tavern, he was in a terrifying mood. He despised that shadow even more for tricking him like that, and his hatred expanded a thousandfold when he realized that that…thing had been with Locke the whole time. She appeared fine when he saw her, but he swore to kill Kage the next time he saw him. He growled and stormed up to their rooms for the night, Locke quietly following.

    By daybreak, Kage was far from the little village. He had exhausted himself, moving so fast. Those decoys had been hard to create and maintain. He collapsed at last beneath a tree and at the slightest hint of light, he let Sommer’s consciousness awaken, and he happily slipped into a passive state.

    Slowly, the young boy blinked. Morning was coming, but it was somewhat earlier than normal for him. His body ached all over, and he was exhausted despite having essentially just woken up from sleep. He groaned and hoisted himself to his feet.

    “Kage, what did you do last night? What happened with Nicolai?” Nothing good, he was sure.

    The usual. We are about two leagues south of the village of yesterday. There is another town not far ahead, if you want to get supplies. And a shirt. Now leave me alone.

    Sommer sighed. He should not have expected anything more from Kage. At least he had not woken up with blood on him this time. He headed down the road, towards a new day and a dawning sky.

    ~End Shade