Golden Lights in a Dark Sky ✔

5. Missing Reflections

Screaming was just a faint buzzing in my ears these days.

Even when I was the one screaming.

"Lady Raegan-Sun, the monsters have been eradicated," some soldier said to me as we looked at a burning village in front of us. I shook my head and looked over at the soldier. He was watching me strangely.

"Lady, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I ground out and rubbed my forehead. Something wet and sticky smeared there. I looked at my hand. It was stained black with Valg blood.

"You are dismissed," I said to the soldier. "See to the people, then we move out."

The soldier nodded and jogged towards the group of survivors. I hated using that word. Survivors. Because too many people had still died even though we got here before any major damage could be done. I saw soldiers gently set at least five bodies to the side for families to say goodbye, or for us to take back to families in another town or village. Not just civilians were lost in this fight after all.

I walked through the village comforting the people and helping put out fires. I couldn't just stand by while these people suffered. They had lost so much.

I was helping an elderly female find one of her cats when a soldier approached me. Upon closer inspection, I realized he was a lieutenant, the one in charge of this small fleet. I gave up on the cats and walked closer to the lieutenant.

"My Lady," he said and gave a small bow. "Lieutenant Harper at your service."

"There are no needs for such manners right now Lieutenant," I said. "We are at war after all."

Lieutenant Harper nodded and cleared his throat.

"We have managed to capture one of the Valg creatures and locked it in a barn with a few soldiers. My Private is over there right now," he said.

"Show me."

He escorted me through the small village and to a barn that wasn't more than a few yards from a farmhouse. I couldn't help but notice a small fae family pulling their children into their house and shooting worried glances at their barn. When they saw me approaching they relaxed a little but still made sure their children stayed inside. I couldn't blame them.

Through the barn doors, I saw a small group of soldiers surrounding one male fae tied up tightly in a chair. Upon closer inspection, I noticed it was a Valg. Its eyes were pitch black and it had one of the damned rings around its finger. It was severely injured, missing a leg in fact, and I was surprised to see it was still alive.

Lieutenant Harper approached one of the soldiers and put an arm around their neck, whispering something in their ear. When they broke apart and spun around I noticed that this soldier was a female, and the Private that he had mentioned.

"My Lady," the Private said. "I'm Private Harper, Lieutenant Harper's trusted soldier and wife."

She turned to the Valg and sneered. "I've been keeping that alive so you can try to get some answers out of it. It hasn't responded to anything in the meantime so good luck."

I dismissed all the other soldiers besides Lieutenant and Private Harper. Standing in front of the Valg I eyed it carefully. It was watching me, and only me, as it tapped its blood-stained fingers on the side of its chair it was tied down to. Every now and then more blood would drip onto the floor, joining the pool that had begun to build around the Valg.

I crouch down to get to eye level with the Valg. It was pretty short for a creature that used to be a fae. Nevertheless, I stared into its black eyes, wondering if I should enter its mind or go for a traditional interrogation.