Herald of Shadow

The Wrath of Heaven

Darkness and mist engulfed me. I could hear the movement and screeching of creatures lurking close by. I ran blindly trying to escape when a bright pillar of light broke through the must. A top a steep hill was the source of the light. I pushed myself to run faster and began climbing, my nails scraping the cold rock. As I drew closer I could make out the source of the light, a woman. She was the light. She reached out to me, her voice muffled and indistinguishable but familiar. When I took her hand the darkness melted away shifting into stone and ash. Gasping for air I collapsed into the rubble. Hushed voices swirled around me until I lost consciousness.

*

My knees ached from kneeling on the harsh stone beneath me. I'd woken only a few minutes ago, my head pounding and my body aching. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't remember what had happened, only the vague image of a woman of light reaching out to me remained, but I could tell that whatever had happened, I was apparently to blame.

Suddenly a bright green pulse of light illuminated on my hand and with it lightning bolts of pain ran up my arm. I let out a hoarse cry that echoed off of the stone walls. The guards stationed in the room bore no sympathy and held their ground. After a few seconds the light from my hand, and the pain that came with it, ceased I examined it closely. A faint green scar streatched across the palm of my hand.

The door opened roughly and two figures stood in the bright light pouring through the doorway. The first figure was a tall, lithe but muscular woman clothed head to toe in armor, a shield secure on her back and a sword on her hip. Her short black hair was woven into a tight braid that crowned her head. Her olive skin was smooth save for a small scar on her left cheekbone and a long deeper scar on her right cheek. The dim lighting caused her light brown eyes to glow softly, but that did nothing to diminish the scowl she bore.

As the first woman began to circle me the second stepped into the room. She moved slowly, calculating and observing. Her features were nearly all hidden beneath a hood, but I could vaugly make out a few strands of red hair.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." The armored woman's voice somehow managed to be both melodic and harsh. "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

Destroyed? Dead? No. I'd just been there. I'd walked the halls, talked to the servants about the gathering. How could it all just be gone? Her words hit me. Except for you. "You think that I'm responsible?"

She reached down, grabbing my bound hands. "Explain this."

As if on cue the green light exploded from my palm, pain shot up my arm but I bit back a scream. The light diminished and the pain slowly started to fade. "I can't. I don't know what it is, how it got there or what the hell is even happening!"

"You're lying!" She shouted shoving my hands back to the ground.

The second female intervened, firmly grasping her companions arm and pulling her back slightly. "We need her, Cassandra!"

The first woman, Cassandra, scowled and pulled her arm out of her companions grip. The second woman turned towards me, her face fully illuminated now. She was pale with high cheekbones, bright blue eyes and full lips. Her short red hair was nearly completely covered by her purple hood. She too wore armor, but a lighter set that allowed more movement. She had no weapons - none that I could see anyway.

"I - I don't understand."

Her face revealed nothing as she looked down on me. "Do you remember what happened? How this began?"

I shook my head slightly. "I remember darkness, sounds... Creatures chasing me. I was running, climbing trying to reach her."

"Her?" She questioned.