Silent Shadows: Book One - Echoes of the Flame

Prologue

Content Warning:
This book contains gore, death, torture, abuse and generally very dark themes.

Tears will fall
Like bluebells in April
Youth will die
Like oaks in December

Ashes ride the gloomy air
Cinders dance upon their tainted waltz
For the endless eclipse to haunt us further
As we fall into the twilight

Moonlight was never supposed to shine
Stars were an image painted by deceit
What stood in the dusk was a universe's demise
And eternally, the sky fades into abyss

We lived in the oceans for all these eons
As spirits in the waves, we never saw the planets
The sun that had shone forever
On landscapes of an unknown tranquility

Shivering are the voices
Which call us to their astral concourse
The music of a dying crowd
Of a thousand souls of agony

The birth of sorrow has enticed us all
And we have fallen to our darkest destiny
But a sombre night is falling
And with it, we come again to sleep

-

Theme songs

HAVE A NICE LIFE - Hunter

DARK TRANQUILITY - Shadow Duet

OPETH - The Apostle In Triumph

MAUDLIN OF THE WELL - The Birth Pains Of Astral Projection

WINTERSUN - Starchild

-

Midnight laid heavy upon the hills, the chilling winds teasing the grass. A black veil stretched out wide over the open land, the divine glimmer of stars entrancing the heath, moonlight a mystic that eternally watched the moors. Snowdapple and Moonshadow stood by his side as Flashclaw crept down the hill, cold winds whispering an ancient lullaby which told them to go back. But they were not retreating to their warm campsite anytime soon, as frigid as this silent autumn night was.

"Wow! These hills are pretty, aren't they?" Moonshadow laughed as they bounded down an endless slope, their paws landing safely in the tall grass. The lush strands wavered like a long pelt, painted a masterpiece by the moonlight and the shadows. 

"They would be prettier if you guys hadn't decided to go out hunting at night," Snowdapple hissed. They raced up a shaded curve, violet heather crushing beneath their paws. Flashclaw and Moonshadow both rolled their eyes as they climbed up to the top, their paws now standing upon the highest of the moors. A massive kingdom of galaxies and stars opened up above them, stretching out endlessly to the horizon. Dark colours cascaded through the void, all of the universe stretching out a thousand miles ahead.

"See! Now that's pretty," Flashclaw laughed, jabbing Snowdapple's shoulder with his paw. 

His friend scoffed. "We came here to hunt, not to muse about Silverpelt," he growled. 

"Well, do you see any rabbits?" Moonshadow asked as they three gazed out at the swirl of constellations. They continued walking, before suddenly Snowdapple's ears perched as his head twitched to the side. A fuzzy silhouette was sitting in the heather, and by the vague shape Flashclaw could tell it was a rabbit.

Moonshadow stepped forward silently, each step light. Snowdapple slowly crept towards the unassuming prey, and the two suddenly stared at each other. Flashclaw sat back in preparation to watch Hell erupt and explode into a thousand year war between the two.