King of Smoke

Darkness

Gale

The world was plunged into darkness for three days.

    There was no light at all. The sun never came out, the moon never shone, and the stars had winked from existence.

Day 1

The light went out. The sun just winked out like a candle flame. Total darkness engulfed the world. No city, no Region had light. The sailors around me screamed, thinking the gods had finally had enough of us. Nina lit up a fire in her hand, her eyes still red and puffy from crying. She replaced her sadness with a face of grim determination. She went around calming the soldiers and handing a lantern to every one. Then she stood at the front of the mast holding a ball of fire a few feet away from us, guiding us through the dark waters.

The sailors and passengers started praying and worshiping their gods, praying for the light to come back on, but I knew that praying to their gods would do nothing. I knew that the one sucking the light from the earth was below my feet.

Emerson was in the captain's room under the foremast, alone.

I made my way down the wooden stairs to the hallway that led to her room. I knocked on her door, only to receive no reply. I slowly opened the door, letting the lantern alight the room.

"Emerson," I said quietly, my words barely above a whisper. She was a shadow in the darkness, moving faster than anything I had seen, her hand whipped out from her side. A thump landed next to my ear, the quick breeze fluttered past my face. I glanced over, the throwing knife embedded deep into the door frame.

I glanced at her one last time, even the figure of her exhausted.

I turned and shut the door, letting the darkness once again consume her. I walked away. 

Day 2

We all woke up the next day, expecting the light to once again warm our face. Yet nothing had changed, even throughout the night darkness had settled around us. Nina told the sailors that the light would come back on eventually. She smiled and made her rounds once again lighting lanterns and leading the way. Yet I heard the whispers of doubts from the others, the doubts that the light would never come back on. That we didn't deserve to live in the light, but to fester in the darkness.

Nina stood against the darkness, one person lighting up the world. Our ship sailed smoothly as we made our way to an island off the coast of Aquina. There were no stars to navigate by so the compass was posted at the front of the ship as we sailed. The compass was always watched, even a few degrees off and we would miss our target. We could see no landmarks to set us back on track. I could feel the tension on the boat, it was palpable.

By night fall sailors were starting to see things in the darkness. Their eyes played tricks on them, showing them things no person should ever see. Screams could be heard from the bowels of the boat. Ember sat next to Nina the whole night, trying to drown out the sounds of screams with the sounds of waves lapping against the boat.

I was just hoping that the light would return turn by tomorrow night. The island was four days away. If the light didn't come back on we were crash against the rocks that surrounded the island. Thoughts crept into my mind on how far I would go to secure the light we so desperately needed.

People shouldn't live in the dark.

Day 3

Sailors and passengers were gathered on the deck, talking in hushed tones. Nina was still asleep, exhausted from keeping the fire alight. We had lowered the anchor fora few hours to give her some much needed rest.