Ghost of a Forgotten Past

Chapter 8- A Night of Evolution

The shards throbbed within her chest, mist clung to her skin and cape, Blood seeped through her clothes. Lanora didn't have the strength to change herself back to her true self, so she remained the blonde haired man. They reached the empty plain, Lanora was becoming increasingly dizzy and weary she whispered to Phantom "I wasn't ready yet, take us home boy, take us home" as she spoke the last word she passed out from loss of blood. Her body slid down the side of the stallion who tried to stop her from falling but was unsuccessful her small form lay on the ground, a dark patch of red and gold blood slowly seeped into the dry cracked earth. Shadow laid there for hours, before opening his eyes and seeing he was surrounded by Nathaniel and his Knights, all standing around Shadow in a circle staring down with blank and expressionless faces. She tried to get up but the pain was too much she groaned and fell back down, bane spoke "don't try to get up Shadow those shards are very close to your heart". Looking at them she said "I thought I told you not to follow", "yes well we didn't listen to you" replied Nathaniel narrowing her eyes she said "why do you continue to follow?" looking from the man on the ground to the stallion which had shied away from them and back to the man he replied "because we think you have a connection to the King, the girl and the wild flowers that could help us defeat Kane", Lanora didn't answer.

Tension was building, falcon broke the awkward silence "we better get those shards out of your chest before they cause any real damage and before you lose any more blood" he exclaimed, leaning down he took out a knife and started to cut away the tunic, but Lanora grabbed his arm "that's not necessary" she spoke through strained words. Grabbing hold of his hand she sat up a bit, looked up at them and asked for some water. When Bane gave Shadow the flask of water he said "you're going to have to let us take them out or they will reach your heart", Shadow shook his head and replied "I'll do it myself" and poured the water over the long cuts, the water boiled, bubbled and fizzed as it hit the surface of Shadows feverish skin. Sparks flew out and hissed in the air, Shadow collapsed on his back writhing in pain as the shards were drawn out by the automatic healing process of an elflings body. Holding his hand over one of the spots, the shard that was embedded there came, flying out and hit his hand, Shadows fingers closing around it as it made contact. Opening up his hand he revealed to the Knights a shard of Kane's enchanted sword deformed and completely clean, instead of being a long thin piece of metal it was thick and barbed, it had changed shape inside Shadows chest. "No wonder it was so painful coming out, it's barbed and there are at least four more to go" described Jim in horror, and no longer did he finish his sentence, Shadow was convulsing on the ground again as the next shard emerged from his flesh. The next two were very much the same, but the last and largest of them all caused so much pain that Lanora's magic was playing up and things started to pop up and disappear around them. One of them an image of a magnificent sunset, another being the menacing blue eyes from a dream, then Scar-face on the night of village's destruction, many more things passed until the final shard was removed. The knights stood in silence all of the things that had passed in the glowing coloured pictures had happened at some point in Shadows life, they felt sympathy for him because no one should have to experience and live with such heart break and loneliness, they understood why Shadow was so vein the horrors that were in his past would haunt even the strongest of warriors for the rest of his days. .

After the last episode had subsided Nathaniel sat down beside Shadow and asked "You've been forever alone yet the girl, you claimed to live with her and protect her, when did you meet her?" Shadow remained silent and just stared at the fire. Once again Nathaniel asked "when did you meet her?" this time he answered very slowly and full of pauses "it was a few years back when...I was out hunting, I found her in a wolf pit... shivering and curled up in a corner" Shadow was still panting and covered in a new sheen of sweat. Nathaniel looked at him a while and then said "why don't you tell me the truth", "I see you read people very well your highness, very well then I've never really met her she lives in the forest and I live in the rock tors on the slate plains" he lied once again, analysing Nathaniel's expression this time, he believed this one so continuing " we keep our distance from one another, she's very flighty and shy of other people ever since that scoundrel Scar-face destroyed her life forever, casting her out into the cold world with only a young and inexperienced pitch black colt" he held emotion in his voice that was unintentional for Shadow was really Lanora in disguise after all.