Forgotten Shadows

Chapter 2

It could of just been a dream, a nightmare. She wanted it to be. A story, anything other than the fact it was real. And not just real, that this was her reality and that’s what she hated more than anything. That she was stuck in this story. This never ending story. What tore at her heart and left her numb to everything.

/-/-/

“Why don’t you just mind your own business,” Sheut shot at her. “It has nothing to do with you so just leave me alone.” Golden eyes glared at her, so filled with anger it made her take a step back, away from him.

“But Sheut--” She wasn’t able to finish the sentence as he cut her off. 

“No! I have had enough of all you people telling me it’s too dangerous.” He gave her another glare. Aria stared up at him with pleading purple eyes, willing him to smile, crack a joke. Do anything else except stare at her like that. But he didn’t move, his mouth stayed in a firm line, eyes closed off to her. 

“But--” again she was interrupted. 

“Save it Aria.” At that she flinched back more, he never called her Aria. At least not anymore, not since they were thirteen. He always called her Ari.”I don’t want to hear it.” She closed her eyes then opened them again.

What was happening? Why was this happening?

She watched him pick up a stack of book he had been reading before she had come in and start walking away. Leaving Aria standing there tears threatening to spill from her eyes and all she could think of was that he was changing because of the magic.

/-/-/

Aria stopped right outside the large double doors that lead into the meeting hall, running a hand over the door. A carving of a tree engraved into it, she could already here voices on the other side. 

“This is where I must leave you.” The servant said bowing before running off. A small laugh escaped Aria’s lips even as nerves bubbled inside her, she let out a long sigh. 

It’s better to just get this over with. 

Aria pushed the large double doors open and strode in ignoring all the stares cast her way. The meeting had already started, she was late. She leaned against the wall on the far side of the room away from the glares. This was probably the first time an unbalanced had set foot in these walls.

“Well it’s good of you to join us, Aria.” A woman said. She sat at the very head of the table, obviously someone important. As she stood up, Aria could see the gold circlet around her head. It twinkled as the gems placed around it caught the flames of candles. This was the queen then, golden blond hair, wise green eyes and a knowing smile. Immediately Aria didn’t like this woman but then again it was hard for her to like anyone. Aria nodded. 

” It not like I had much of a choices.” The woman gave her a charming smile.
 
“Come have a seat.”

“I’d rather stand, but thank you for the offer.”

That got the rest of the counsel to talk. 

“No respect.”

“That’s why we don’t let the unbalanced anywhere near the castle.”

“It’s not just that. If she wanted to, she could kill anyone of us whenever she likes.”

Aria let a small smile creep to her lips, even here she unsettled people.

“Very well,” with that the queen returned to her seat and the room fell back into the silence it had been before Aria had set foot in the room. She stood there, her eyes darting from face to face trying to memorize them. Living on the streets had made her cautious.

“I know you’re all wondering why my husband has summoned an unbalanced to this meeting.” The queen paused as whispers were exchanged throughout the room. “I know he would have explained it to you in person if he hadn’t been called away, but as it stands I’m here, in his place. So it falls to me to fulfill the king’s duty.” More mummers, more glares Aria’s way. 

“Where’s the king?”

“I heard he was called away because of an attack further south.”

“The border.”

“No, the Shattered Lands.”

The queen cleared her throat and all attention turned back to her. “As you should all know by now, this kingdom is on the verge of a war with the shadows and the king that controls them--” Aria cut her off and everyone in the room turned their attention to her, but the smile never left the queen’s face.

“I don’t understand why any of this has to do with me.”

“My dear, it has everything to do with you.”

“How so?”

“The king of shadows is rising in power brought back from the dead by a necromancer twenty years ago. His right hand has been given orders to destroy this kingdom, to take it for his king.”

Aria closed her eyes knowing what the queen was going to say next.

Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it. 

She pleaded silently to whatever god or goddess would listen but the queen did anyways.

“The Shadow Kings right hand is a man named Sheut.”

No!

Aria felt like her world had been turned upside down, she felt something in her chest tighten and then leave altogether. Pain shot though her she pushed it away, keeping her eyes closed. “I won’t help you,” she heard herself numbly say. “I can’t.”

“I believe you can,” she heard the queen say. “You’re the only one who knows him.”

“I knew him a lifetime ago, he has changed since then.” Aria felt like her heart had been torn out, ripped right out of her chest. She could imagine the blood flowing out of her chest and to the stone floor.

“Still you knew him better than anyone else.”

At that Aria felt something in her shatter. She had been running from this for so long, running from him and now it seemed to be back to him full circle. Why her?

“Aria, you are our only hope, the only one strong enough to fight him.

“What about another unbalanced?”

“There are none left, none who are born unbalanced are alive right now and we cannot wait for another to be born.” She heard desperation in the queen’s voice. Was she truly their only hope?

“I can’t, I’ve been running from him for years now. What makes you think I’m going to stop running? What makes you think I want to see him again? You would never understand what he did to me.” Aria could hear the desperation in her own voice, a pleading cry. She would do anything to just leave and forget this whole thing ever happened, but she also knew she couldn’t. The queen was right this war should never start and she had to be the one to do it, to stop it from starting. She let out a long sigh. 

“Alright then, but first you have to know what we’re up against. You assume he’s just another unbalanced who is made, but he’s not. When we were young he started studying in the forbidden arts.” A gasp went around the room.

“What!?” Someone cried in outrage.

“How?” She heard someone else say.

“I don’t remember how he first started studying it but I do remember once he started he wouldn’t let it go. It ate at him until he was no longer the boy I once knew.” Aria felt a shutter go through her body. She had never told anyone this before. She felt exposed, a feeling she hadn‘t felt for five years.” And after the fight I never saw him again.” She pressed her eyes closed tighter until it hurt, until it felt like she would never be able to open them again. “I was hoping I would never see him again.” When she re-opened her eyes there was a sadness in them. “I guess hoping never gets us anywhere.”

Aria uncrossed her arms as she walked towards the door not caring if the meeting was over or not, she had to leave, get away from all the eyes on her. “I will help you but I ask one thing in return, I want to go alone.” She reached the door just as the queen stood.

“I can’t let you do that, you are to go with at least one of my personal knights.”

Aria turned around. “So you want my help but give me nothing in return?”

“Do not mistake my kindness Aria, you are still unbalanced and not to be trusted.”

Aria clenched her fists at her side containing her anger as best she could.

“Seidr,” the queen called and an elf stood from the table, her skin was a dark grey and her eyes and hair were the same amber color. She wore armor just a shade lighter than her skin, her hair cut short but in the front were her bangs were supposed to be it was longer, ending just where her elbows were. Two metal rings attached to the end of each braid. “This is Seidr. She will be accompanying you on this journey.” The elf looked Aria over then nodded to the queen. Aria noticed that Seidr was also a magic user as most elves were. Then Aria turned around so she was facing the door.

“I leave in the morning so be ready by dawn.” And with that, she left.

/-/-/

“Whoa, are you alright?” A young boy asked, as Aria toppled to the floor. Once again not paying attention to where she was going, in a hurry to get to her next class.

“Ye… yes, I think so,” she replied. The first thing Aria noticed about him was his striking gold eyes as he reached a hand down to help her up. 

“Well that’s good. You should be more careful next time.” She ignored his hand and picked herself up off the ground.

“I’m Sheut, by the way.” The boy stuck out his hand once more, this time in greeting, But Aria hesitated. “Alright, no touching. What’s your name?” He asked pulling back his hand. It hung limply at his side.

“It’s Aria” the young girl replied.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Aria.”

/-/-/

Aria closed her eyes against the memories willing them to go away, to leave her alone.

Why me? She thought desperately. Why?

All she wanted to do was forget all this, forget her past and forget about him but now she was forced right back into it. It wasn’t fair, she thought, but usually nothing in life was fair.

She was now wandering the streets of the capital somewhat in a daze. People passed her by, venders and store owners called to her trying to get her to buy things. But she wasn’t paying attention to anything. She was going to have to hunt him down. Which meant she was going to have to face the past she had banished.

With a sigh she stopped to watch some street performers, two fire dancers who had set up in a small clearing. They danced to a set drum beat, hips swaying, fire twirling high above their heads then back towards the ground, in a hypnotizing dance. Always graceful in their movement, like they were fire themselves, always in danger of getting burned.

Aria thought she could get swept away in it. The dance, the fire, and music. At one point in time she had thought about becoming a fire dancer, but that had been a life time ago. A time when she was small and all she had known was the streets.

Aria watched for a bit before moving on, walking though the crowded streets lined by their big clay and stone houses, she had grown up in and around. As a child back then she had memorized every street, alleyway, and house. It had been the only thing she could do since she had been an orphan. She closed her eyes willing the memories away. That was another life, another Aria. 

Somehow she found herself outside the magic academy when she hadn’t meant to. It stood large and proud. A garden surrounding it, cared for most likely by balancer magic. She quickly turned around headed back towards the inn she was staying in, since she had refused to stay in the palace. 

Tomorrow I start my quest, she thought not looking forward to it, but now bound by her words. She either went and faced him or she stayed and faced death. That would be her punishment, wouldn’t it, she mused. What was one dead unbalanced to anyone?