Child of the Rift

Chapter One

Twenty years had passed since the fall of the great Kingdom of Calia, and the darkness had taken root, hiding the sun from view and casting a shadow over the lands. Rifts in the veil opened, forcing the dead to rise so that they could never again rest as much as they may have wished too, turning their torment into eternal torture.

From afar she watched, intrigued by the world of men as she hid within her hooded cloak, remaining hidden from sight. The guards upon the outside wall of the large palace stood powerfully, the whispers of darkness emanating from them in a way that sent shivers of fear rolling down her spine.

"Dawn, you're not supposed to be this close," said a familiar male voice, catching her off guard and causing her to jump, her heart skipping a beat in her chest as she stumbled forward.

"Arthur, I am allowed to wander,"

"But not here, it's too dangerous for you,"

"I am fine as long as we both remain quiet, it shall remain that way," she murmured quietly as she moved the branches of the bush and returned to gazing upon the soldiers whose hearts had been blackened by the darkness.

"You know if something were to happen to you-"

"I'll be fine Arthur, I swear it," she murmured, "do you ever hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"It is nothing, forget I mentioned anything," she continued when the sudden sound of a horn caught her attention and caused both to freeze into position before the gate opened. What arose from within the walls would cause even the bravest of man to die of fear.

Creatures of nightmares rode upon the backs of horses that shouldn't have existed, with no skin upon their beings and very little muscle to hold together the bone and yet, they seemed to move with the power of the mightiest steed. Upon the beasts, wrapped within cloaks of a shadowed grey, ripped at the edges and giving the appearance of phantoms but it was the darkness within them that was what struck fear into the hearts of man.

From the beasts arose a song that seemed to call to her heart, drawing something from within deep within her, almost forcing her into a hypnotised state as she fought against it. The mark upon her hand setting alight as it began to glow an ominous red. With no control over her body, she began to lift her hand as the beings screeched. Feeling herself drawn to them like a moth to flame or perhaps a light to shadow, she fought the force within herself when suddenly, Arthur took her wrist in his powerful grip and forced it back to her side.

"What's wrong with you?" he snarled quietly.

She gazed upon the wraiths, finding herself unable to look away from the beings that had been created for one sole purpose. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on ends as her brother grabbed her wrist and began to pull her away from the castle, and further into the vast shadows cast by the forests that surrounded them, seemingly finding solace in the darkness for the first time since being a child.

"You must be more careful," blurted Arthur as he hurried her through the forest and back to her horse. The two of them rode swiftly, remaining hidden in the shadows as they avoided the roads and approached the small cottage that had been cloaked as it had been from the day of her birth.

"I am careful, I blame this on you brother, if you hadn't-"

"I care not what or who you blame sister, when Lady Ana-"

"We'll be leaving again," muttered Dawn as the dread arose in her body.

"It must be done,"

"I wish we were able to stay in one place longer,"