The Chronicles of Onyx: Book 2

Chapter Twenty One

Campfire embers gleamed in the cold abyss of the night. Orcs settled around the fire in an attempt to shield it from the winds, struggling to keep the dying embers alive. Demeter stood at the edge of the flickering light, her violet eyes reflecting the dance of flames as her thoughts churned like the shadows around her.

The icy wind swept through the barren trees, whispering its mournful song. Demeter's obsidian wings were wrapped around her form to ward off the biting chill. The night held a frigid silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of the struggling fire.

"I must find her, my fate depends on her power" Demeter whispered to herself, preparing mentally, for a war.

Her violet eyes fell back on her army, to which consisted of thirty-three orcs. However deep in her cold heart she knew he small army was no match against Dezenym and his pack of mangled mutts. Yet, an ever deeper fear resided in her chest. She could not face two necromancers. And Onyx had been given enough time to discover her true potential, to become a being more powerful than any god.

"Whatever it takes, I will have my throne and the power that comes with it" She vowed silently to herself.

-ooooo-

Gollik sat close to the fire, as though trying to gain as much warmth as he could from the young flame. His black, beady eyes watched the small fire dance and waver in the wind. He had always been hesitant with the Queen's fascination with Onyx, for he knew the dangers of Necromancy and feared it with every fiber of his being.

Though Onyx was merely but a child when the Queen made her a prisoner, Gollik had always viewed her as what she was—a monster. A creature born from darkness and pain. One that would someday grow to crave chaos and devastation, destroying and manipulating everything to satisfy its desires. For Onyx, he knew what she craved most: revenge. When she fought, she fought out of rage, and he could always see it in her fiery gaze. She was in pain, perhaps if she had only known love she wouldn't have. But she didn't, and now Demeter came to tame back the monster she created.

Gollik's gnarled hands gripped the hilt of his dagger tightly, his knuckles turning white. The firelight cast shadows on his face, emphasizing the deep lines etched by a life filled with battles and struggles.

Gollik glanced over at Queen Demeter, his eyes reflecting a mixture of loyalty and unease. He had served the Queen faithfully for years, but the path she treaded, was darker than ever before. And Gollik couldn't shake the feeling that meddling with Onyx would only unleash something far beyond their control.

As the wind howled through the skeletal branches overhead, Gollik clenched his fists, torn between loyalty and the growing fear that the Queen's ambitions would lead them all to ruin.