A sequel to "Floating Stars"
Generations have come and gone in Natanstrelle. The people have been free to live without fear for almost a century, since the light magic's triumph over the darkness. However, hatred still lurks within the land; the Tro...
Death, that was all Ethan saw. Lifeless bodies of Trolls and Natanstrelleans alike lay all around him. A tear came to his eye at such a waste. Both armies fought relentlessly, fighting for a cause that had long since been forgotten by all who lay there.
He watched clouds of black smoke rush out of the gaping mouths of those it destroyed. It then danced its way into the dark blue sky. Ethan's gaze traced the shadows as they snuffed out each star they came across, leaving behind no room for hope.
The darkness was on its way to the very centre of Natanstrelle where a girl stood all alone.
"No, not Beanni! Leave her alone!" Ethan heard his voice echo in the distance. His words, of course, were ignored.
The darkness twisted its coils around her, trapping her in a cage of pure evil. It then slowly, and painfully entered her eyes. Every muscle in her body shook with the torture it inflicted on her, she convulsed until the shadows came to a sudden stop. The girl then fell to her knees, her sweat-clad curls covering her face as she squeezed her arms around her abdomen. She curled herself into a ball of self-pity.
"Beanni?" Ethan heard that same echo.
Beanni looked up, the deep chasms he saw in her eye sockets filled his heart with dread.
"Please, please help me?" she begged, her voice not able to climb above a trembling whisper. She reached her shaking hand towards him, then black tears, as thick as blood, dripped down from her eyes. "I can't stop it! I..."
She then flung her head back and let out a blood curdling scream as the shadows dragged her up off the ground and held her, suspended in the air.
"No! Stop!" Ethan only just managed to shout out before a mighty explosion ripped from Beanni's core, sending out fire and destruction to every corner of Dachan Terran.
The unforgiving, burning flames filled Ethan's eyes and mind, then there was nothing.
He woke with a panicked start, throwing himself against his new restraints. The excruciating sting of his open wounds made his heart leap to his throat. He groaned as he let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding. Desperate, he looked up towards where he hoped Illuminare Trabem was looking down.
"Take it away..." he pleaded aloud towards the darkened ceiling, but death and fire would not stop plaguing his thoughts. Of course, the fear of what may come to pass if he does not take up his place within Troglobha Terran outweighed any anxiety that the King managed to conjure up with his cruel orders. No matter how much physical abuse he had to endure, it would be nothing compared to the suffering that was to come if his nightmares came to pass. He stood there, chained back to the wall in his cell, the only thing he was able to do was sleep again. But the last thing he wanted to do was close his eyes. He daren't stir up the vision again. For how could he stomach seeing it all another time?
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When Oslac got back to the palace he headed straight for the dungeon. He didn't have much of a plan yet, but he knew he couldn't wait, he needed to get Ethan out of there. For if what he suspected was true, he could not risk the guards getting to him again, for Beanni's sake.
