Sal Shefa

Bard held tight to Kai’s fur. The shades left them alone on the dark landscape, barely noticeable with their red eyes, before turning away. Sen clung to him, urging them on. The howls sounded like laughter, mocking them.

The images of the village being destroyed, fresh in their minds, made Kai run at a speed Bard had never known. He could hear that Empress of the Night as she laughed at their desperation. The run stretched, causing Bard’s heart to ache. First the Elders, then Father, now Sal Shefa. He clung to the little hope that she was bluffing, that she hadn’t wiped it out.

As they crested a ridge and rushed into the valley, Bard nearly choked. Purple fires and smoke were all he could see where Sal Shefa was, the sunstones were no longer visible. Sen cried out and somehow, Kai ran even harder.

They plowed through the smoke, and past the smoldering flames. Shouts and screams echoed, and Bard tried to look around, the smoke biting at his eyes. He quickly pulled out his flute, but a shade attacked them. Kai barely avoided and struck hard with his spikes, deterring the thing.

Sen hopped down and Bard followed. She took the lead, guiding them to their home. A sudden surge filled Bard as he plowed after. Was Zak alright? They passed shading humans, dryads, and catfolk, while bodies littered the ground. It was a pure nightmare, and stirred up old memories long forgotten. Bard barely caught the sight of Kihana and Jamil off to the side, their eyes turning red as they shaded, her wings turning black.

The fight to their place was harrowing, Kai helping to keep the shades off as they entered. Inside were a whole host of shades, some still in the process of turning from friend to foe. A scream upstairs drew them from the shock and they dashed upstairs. Bard pulled out his flute and began to play as the shades gave pursuit. Those stairs felt like an eternity as they made it to their room. Sen was at the door first. Her expression of horror and then anger as she shouted and dashed inside. Kai howled, drawing Bard’s attention as he was attacked. He fought back while Bard came to the room, playing louder to keep the foes away.

What he saw, caused his song to falter.

Elwood and Amir had shielded Zak, their bodies shading, but Zak hadn’t been left unscathed. Bard looked into those blue eyes full of terror and froze. Sen jumped off a wall and then charged at the shade in the room, slicing it to bits before turning and pulling Zak from his protectors.

“Bard!” Sen shouted, and he quickly picked up his flute and played again, turning around as a shade came at him. Sen came out and stood near him, her voice joining with his song.

“Kai!” Sen shouted, and the beast made them a path out. They needed to find the survivors and get out of here.

As Sen ran, Bard barely kept pace.

Zak’s wails reached his ears, and Sen clung to him, trying to calm him as they got outside and began to search.

Other people’s shouts filled the air, and they seemed to be moving towards them. The forest behind turned black, ominous, but no less bleak to what they saw. Sen’s hair stopped its movements and then began to fade to black. Bard wished for some miracle, some help in this stark reality they were facing.

Suddenly, the voices around vanished, silence filled the area. Not even the crackling of the fires reached their ears. The unease grew and Bard hastily pulled the flute to his lips, but before he could play, a maniacal laughter filled the void.

“Doesn’t the silence sound wonderful? It’s all mine now. Your fighters, your village, every last shred of light. I told you I would drink it dry, didn’t I, Bard Jaystrum?” The empress’s voice resounded as her form took hold in front of Kai. Kai growled, but she moved her fingers and the Harbinger stepped out from her snaking, shadowy hairs. Her eyes glowed purple as she grinned a devious grin. Bard quickly blew into the flute, but the Harbinger and her laughed before charging.

A sudden lurch and Kai howled before the family was flung from his back. Bard was thrown in a different direction, as the wind was nocked out of him upon impact. He fought against the pain and tried to locate Sen and Zak, but Harbinger jumped at them. Kai charged and stopped the blow. The empress approached Bard, her long fingers extended threateningly.

He reached for the flute, but her hairs yanked it beyond his reach.

“You should have realized by now, that stuff doesn’t work on me,” she snarked, stalking him as if he were a helpless prey. Bard struggled to his feet, but she turned her attention.

She laughed, and her hairs shot toward Sen and Zak. Bard shouted. Sen turned, but Kai made it first. He took her attack and his eyes turned red before he shaded before them, far faster than any other.

The Empress laughed as she bid the new shade come to her. Bard seethed as his eyes darted around for an instrument, something he could use.

“Bard!” Sen’s voice shouted and he moved, avoiding an attack. However, he heard Sen scream and looked over to see Zak plucked from the safety of her arms by the Harbinger. Zak’s wails contrasted with Sen’s screech as she charged, but she was struck back by the hairs. She was moving fast, but that didn’t make sense. Bard found his voice.

“Why the rush, Empress?” Bard called out and she laughed.

“Rush. Oh, I’ve savored you long enough. Time’s up. Now give me that despair. You’ll be the last I forge. Let that will I’ve teased out snap at last.”

Bard looked at Zak’s terrified eyes before the empress scooped him up with a wicked and tender grin. She cupped his little cheeks in her slender fingers and forced his face to look at the two parents.

She chuckled gleefully. “This little one will be perfect,” she nearly cooed. Her voice made Bard’s blood begin to boil. “Despair, and it will all be over,” she hummed, planting a kiss on the little forehead. Zak struggled against her while Bard and Sen tried to get him back. But her hairs proved too tricky to outmaneuver. She stayed put as she battered them.

Bard tried to get free as the hairs grabbed him. Sen screamed, drawing his attention to Zak who went limp and then eyes glazed over with that same red hue as he too shaded. The empress bound them and lifted them into the air, cackling with glee.

“What a fine despair. So innocent and strong. He’ll make a fine prize.” The empress’s cold eyes goaded them with every word.

Sen yelled as she broke free, before Kai’s shade charged at her and nocked her down. The empress toyed with them as she stroked the tiny shade before cuddling it, as if to mock them. Bard barely managed to get out, and he dashed over to her, fury in his glares at the empress.

“You monster!” Sen shouted.

The empress grinned before dismissing the tiny shade. “That’s right, scream for me, Sen.”

She hummed as she spread her arms wide before dropping them and striking them with her hairs. Bard tried to make it to Sen, but she broke free and charged at the empress, passing Kai and the Harbinger. As Bard struggled in the air once more, he saw her falter and then Sen dropped.

“Zak,” Sen’s voice called, confused, hurt, and Bard quickly caught sight of the little shade that was right before Sen, blocking her attack on the empress.

“You monster!” Bard shouted, but he noticed Sen turn limp. The tiny shade moved to her and her body shaded. The empress walked over to Sen and turned her chin up as if savoring this.

“I warned you in my hall. A mother’s heart twists so sweetly, just like the thousands of others I’ve done.”

Bard felt like time stood still as Sen looked back at him, her eyes red. His own eyes grew wide, and a seething rage burned in him as he broke free. But instead of a follow-up of her hairs grabbing him, a white light caused him to cover his face and he heard the empress shriek as some force grabbed him and he blacked out.