The Huntsman of Adamos (Quartet)- draft
THE DARK ONES

CH THE DARK ONES

The enemy stared at her as she knelt for a moment and touched her fingers to the snow.

Lifting her head, Lady Fleur of Adamos faced her enemy. “What do you want, Canus of Baalru?”

“I want my son,” Lord Canus bellowed at her in a deeply inhuman tone. The woman who stood before him surrounded by the shield glyphs looked nothing like the girl he had danced with at the Autumn Equinox Ball, and yet she was. He glanced around and saw no mages on the walls and wondered who protected her. “Where are your mages?

She sneered at him, “I don’t need them.”

“Give me my son, his life and his blood belong to me. I will spare your home if you...”

“Liar!” Fleur laughed then spat vicious words. “You fool, you slave. All within these walls belong to me. You’re pathetic because you want his blood, but that isn’t true power.” An arrow flew at her, and a sliver of black lightning turned it to dust.

She smirked, “I may be blind, but I can see all of you... I can see your soul’s intent because I am an oracle, a dark oracle.”

She twirled suddenly, sending out a horizontal sheet of black lightning. Those who weren’t quick enough to leave their feet, lost their heads. Lord Canus’ berserker bodyguard, dragged him to the ground as severed heads and charred torsos fell around them. She struck again forcing them back. Arrows flew in waves at her like wind-tossed rain, but for every shield glyph that vanished another appeared. She laughed as she stalked back and forth in front of the castle, the power was intoxicating. The dark mages were barely managing to hold her blasts at bay and everything they throw at her she simply absorbed and casted it back.

“You are all weak and unworthy of your queen!”

She waved her hand dozens of small glyphs appeared, then flew at the glyphs of the mages, shattering them with explosive results. She stepped over the piles of useless arrows as she strode onto the battlefield.

“Canus, come and face me.”

Lord Canus and his two most powerful mages charged her. Great shadow tendrils struck at her but seem to stick to the glyphs and get drawn into the as the protection glyphs grew to immense proportions.

From the ridge behind the castle, Yurieth, Abrieth, Regis and Karstien watched. Only Karstien isn’t surprised, and commented quietly, “Oh, now she is just showing off. Cover your ears, when those break it is going to be loud.”

“You are joking,” Regis stated in amazed disbelief.

“Nope, as long as those fools keep giving her energy, she can do this all day,” Karstien answered. “And this is where she kills him and his shadow.”

Standing next to Lady Yllumina, Lady Naphtala hissed, “Do it.”

Fleur had Lord Canus’ neck in the strange hooked blade of the lightning blade. In a cooing tone, she whispered to him as his shadow thrashed to be free, “This was my husband’s sword. I loved him with all I was, but his love was a lie… Like your love for you son is a lie. You think his blood gives you power, Canus? Using it just proves how pathetic you are. The only thing that matters to me, is using my power to destroy weak things like you.”

“Please... Please, my queen...Mercy...” Canus begged. In the distance, a wolf howled.

Her clouded eyes glowed red with the power of the dark magic energy. “You would not have shown your wife or son mercy, or any who dwell here?”

His tremble of fear betrayed him, and she removed his head with blade and lightning. The dark oracle turned to the remaining Xelusians and their allies.

“Bow down, now!” She could feel Prince Lucif watching her, trying to stop her from drawing the dark powers to herself.

She seized his consciousness. ‘Who are you really?’ He demanded.

“You would defy me, my prince? You would defy your queen?”

‘Forgive me, but you still stand in defense of the oracles of light?’ Lucif’s voice purred in her mind. ‘And you have killed our strongest ally...’

Fleur scoffed, “Canus was weak and a fool. And as for the House of Adamos, they are mine to do with as I wish.”

‘Prove it... prove you should be our queen, my beautiful little oracle...’

She let him feel her as she drew the remaining lifeglow of the forest toward her braiding it into the darkness. The glyphs vanished the sound of a thousand giant bells and drove the survivors to their knees as she siphoned the energy. A single sustained blast of white and black lightning razed the castle. Nothing could have survived the onslaught and Lucif seemed satisfied that she grieved for no one as the windows exploded and the magically fueled fire ate the carved wood and stone.

“Never doubt me again. I am your queen, Lucif, remember your place.” She snapped at him and shut him out.

Fleur turned slowly surveying the damage around her, the soldiers of Baalru, its allies, and the Xelusians laid in charred heaps. The Winter Castle of Adamos collapsed, groaning as burning timber and falling stones surrendered to the inevitable.

Looking down at her late husband’s sword, she pressed the soft flesh of her inner wrist over the symbol ‘Adamos’. Branding herself didn’t even hurt, or perhaps she was so numb from the use of dark magic that she could no longer feel anything. Lifting her arm out in front of her, she fixed her eyes on the symbol for Kaleth’s name. She watched it disintegrate as the white-hot blade turn to dust. She ached for the loss of her last connection to Kaleth, she still loved him, even if the feeling had not been mutual. He had been a great warrior and a good father, but she hate him for his deceit.

She dropped the hilt and turned swiftly, stepping into the trajectory of Yurieth’s arrows. One struck her through the heart with enough force to knock her from her feet. The second exploded as shield glyphs appeared hovering in the air around her. The Dark Mages were trying to save her to be the host for their queen. As her blood tried to drain away, there was shouting and the feeling of healing energy. She sensed Lucif shouting at them while they were trying to repair her body enough that she would revive. They wanted the Siren Queen to live again and Fleur did not know if she had the strength in her soul and will to resist the evil entity this time.

On the ridge over the smoldering remains of the Winter Castle of Adamos, Lady Naphtala watched amazed as Lord Yurieth, the famed Huntsman of Adamos, collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest after firing the shot that killed his own sealed one. He groaned through clenched teeth and almost sobbed at the soul pain rending his being. His agony convinced her that those who served the Light were stronger than those who serve the Darkness would ever be. Abrieth and Regis helped Yurieth to his feet and they staggered through the strange glowing door. Naphtala looked back to the battlefield, she had never seen such a display of power and selflessness. She owed a life debt to the oracle who had known how to save her son from the blood magic insanity.

Turning to her cousin, she nodded, “I will help you save, Lady Fleur.”

“Neither of us shall survive it,” Yllumina warned.

“We would not have survived the end of our world anyway, at least my death shall count for something.” Her pale lips pursed for a moment then she asked in a quiet tone, “Tell me of my grandson and your granddaughter, have you seen them?”

Yllumina smiled, “I have met him and foreseen her.” She pulled a strange metal circle out of her pocket and placed it on the side of the shimmering door.

“What are you doing?” Naphtala watched the magic blink and return.

“I am taking us to a different place, there is a portal in the manor of Odini in the King’s city, we need to be there when Fleur revives.” Yllumina revealed, “And we must hurry because this talisman will close the portal in a few minutes.”

As they stepped through into the courtyard of Odini, Lady Naphtala hid her shock at a magic she had never imagined by asking, “Are you not going to wish your husband fair journey?”

Yllumina paused for a moment, then shook her head, “There is nothing that needs be said between us that we do not already know. He must go, and I must stay, but my love goes with Adamos for all time.”

They walked together through the street to the Tower of Baalru. In Naphtala’s private rooms, they ate breakfast and Yllumina began to tell Naphtala of all she knew of a boy called Shadz and the hero he had become. She knew her cousin need the stories of the future to come to strengthen her resolve to fight the Darkness. A mother’s love for a grandchild she would never meet, would be the thing that saved Naphtala from being condemned for all eternity.

Fleur revived in a lavish room of mirror polished obsidian and black glass. She was no longer in the leather pants, woolen shirt, and quilted vest she wore to the battle, but naked under blood red silk sheets. A scarlet velvet robe lay on a chair, beaded with obsidian and rubies. She rose and walked over to put it on, aware that she was being watched. The robe would have been beautiful to wear around if it fit, but it hung loosely over her curves in a very revealing way and she resisted the urge to pull it tight in modesty. The Dark Oracle did not care about such things. Looking at her black nails, she realized they had been polished, and her hair had been washed and small rubies sewn into occasional tiny braids. She stood in front of the mirror, her eyes inches from the glass, frowning at her appearance.

The darkness of her scars horrified her soul. She now appeared as the Dark Oracle in every way. She needed to act like her, or rather, it. She had overcome the evil entity more than once before and she would again. She would play the part and do whatever she had to, seduce whomever she had to. Her children’s future depended on her not making a single misstep in this dangerous last dance.

Beyond the glass, she felt Demona and Lucif watching her. Smoothing her loose robe so it barely covered her breasts and she felt a wave of hatred from one and the curling shadow of lust from the other before she turned away.

“She may be deceiving us, father,” Princess Demona announced.

“Jealous of her power, daughter?” Prince Lucif taunted as he admired the Dark Oracle.

“I... no... Sh-she…” Demona stammered.

“You should be. She is the most powerful oracle in ten generation. Her blood will make me the most powerful king in eons, and it seems the Siren Queen has already found her to be a suitable host, unlike you.” Demona bristled at the insult but said nothing as her father purred, “That fool Xerxes will bow before me and my queen, and we shall bring the shadowed kingdom to Aetheria on the day on the binary eclipse. The Shadow King shall be mine, and the Siren Queen will live through her.”

Shaking her head as if in dismay as Fleur pulled up the front of the oversized robe so she wouldn’t trip and went out onto the balcony. The moon was rising and opposite the sun was setting, the air smelled of rain. She wondered if Adamos would launch tonight or risk waiting. She wished she could see the sky, instead of just feeling the tingle of the light on her skin. Silently, she prayed for The Tear of Heaven’s Hope and all the children to have a safe journey and that Mina would be able to do the enchantments with Karstien’s help and her stone.

Somewhere in the city below, Fleur could sense that Yurieth and Karstien were watching her. With her hands hidden from anyone behind her, she made gestures only Karstien would know. Her hand sought the stone that was no longer around her neck out of habit so instead, she reached up to twist her hair before making a few more fleeting gestures, to say goodbye to Karstien and send a message to her children.

Tell my children I loved them.

Someone was coming into her room. She pulled the hood of her robe up over her hair and went back inside. It was time to put her plan into motion, she would use the Darkness she could wield to trick the Dark Ones into believing in her fall was real. She would save the future for her children and then she would forever rest.

When Mina and Naphtala did not return to the Tear behind them, her sons and grandson immediately went to the City of the Kings after saying goodbye to their father. Madge refused to go on the Tear to stay and care for Kalyssa. Oren had settled them all into the room in the Manor of Odini, Yurieth and Karstien had gone to the Manor of Adamos because it held a better vantage point to watch the Towers of Baalru and Xelusia. Afternoon had passed into evening, when Yurieth felt her revive.

“She’s back,” Karstien said unnecessarily. They were quiet for a moment, then Karstien apologized, “I am sorry you have to do all this. Keep grandfather’s secret and pretend to love Fleur.”

Yurieth sighed and admitted, “But I do love her. I let my pride and honor come between us because I hate the Darkness and all it is so much. I lost everything to it once before and promised to protect those I love against it at all cost. Yet here I am, and the woman I love is facing it alone because it is my duty to save another.” Yurieth placed his hands flat on the rail, remembering the last time he stood there with Fleur and how foolish he had been afterwards. “I was a fool. My honor cost me her love.”

Karstien looked sad then he declared firmly, “She will still love you when we return to our time, she’ll forgive you, have hope, Uncle Yuri.”

They stared at the towers and saw Fleur emerge, she stood calmly at the edge of a balcony almost at the top of the tower. Her blind eyes glowed red, matching the oversized robe she wore, her hair hung straight and black with glints of red. Far-sight magic allowed them both to see that jewels had been braided into her hair, she looked exotic with her darkened scars creating swirling lace-like lines on her face. As if sensing them watching her, Fleur brought her hands together and made a series of quick gestures.

Karstien clenched his fists but Yurieth did not know what had him so distressed. “What is she doing?”

“It’s American Sign Language, it... it doesn’t exist yet. She says she is in a room, one wall is two-way mirrors, she is being watched by someone named Lucif... and by Demona. She’ll keep them busy. She wants me to help Mina with the enchantments using her stone.” Karstien spoke as Fleur’s hands fluttered. Then Fleur reached up to touch her throat but twisted one of her jeweled braids instead. Dropping her hands, she made one more set of gestures before pulling up her hood, turning and going inside.

“What did she say?” Yurieth asked. “Karstien?”

The young king from the far future, had his head bowed, a tear fell but he made no move to wipe it away. “She said, tell my children I loved them.” Karstien looked at Yurieth with grief and sorrow, “She intends to let them kill her.”

“She said that?” Yurieth demanded.

“No, but I know her. She’ll do anything to save our family, to save the future.” Karstien stared at the empty balcony on the Tower of Xelusia. “We have to save her in a way such that the enemy thinks she died. I’m taking her back with me. I won’t leave her there.”

Yurieth’s fists clenched so tight the leather of his half-gloves creaked. “Neither will I.”

They waited and watched but Fleur never appeared again and neither could reach her with their minds. Fleur was cut off from the House of Adamos and alone in the Towers of those who served the Shadows.

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