Shadow Land

Turning

“So how does this work?” Alexander asked when they stopped in about the third big opening they had gone through. This one had another opening out to the side, but all they could see was the cave mouth because the rest was completely black from the Shadow that was occupying it. The second the Governess walked into their cave-room, the whole place got brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding.

“How, it’s quite simple, really,” the Governess smiled, “All you have to do it die.”

Alexander’s eyes widened in surprise, then immediately snapped shut in response to all the light. “What?” He asked once his all-to-pain-feeling-human eyes had stopped watering and stinging.

“Alex,” Alycia said in a soothing tone, “Attroxian’s don’t really have bodies. Your soul is turned into a creature of light, and the only way to release your soul…” she trailed off.

“Is to kill me,” He finished miserably, “So that’s why so few survive it.”

“Yes,” the Governess nodded sagely, “It is hard to capture the soul at the exact moment it leaves the body. That is where the Shadow really comes in. It releases the soul, and puts so much fear of torment into it that it does not go anywhere.”

Alexander paused, suddenly a lot less eager to go through with the process, “And you’re sure this will work?” He asked Alycia.

“No, but as you have said you have no other choice,” The Governess pointed out. “Now, when the turning is complete, you will still look the same as you do now, it’s just that it will be your soul’s physical manifestation. You will naturally take the shape of the body you have left, although you can chose the age. For instance, Alycia was turned when she was six, but she choices to appear eighteen instead. It’s still not something I understand.”

Alycia sighed, “A whole lot more doors get opened for you when you look sixteen.”

The Governess said nothing in response, but turned back to Alexander, “You will be able to shapeshift, but it requires a lot of energy so I’d suggest waiting. There will be two forms that come naturally to you: the physical manifestation of your soul and the natural form that you take. Usually that is an animal made of light. You probably should not try to become the animal of light without myself or Alycia around as it is often hard to get back from that. With time it will become easier. With that out of the way, shall we begin?”

Alexander glanced at the Shadow, unsure of what to do.

A voice that sounded as though it belonged in a crypt called to him, the sound slowly creeping across the air until it confronted his ears, “Just step inside this room, young one, I will take care of the rest.”

Still Alexander paused, unnerved by the level of malice he heard in the voice, but in the end he forced himself to walk into the Shadow.

The second he crossed the threshold, he felt the freezing cold as darkness surrounded him. Then, he felt nothing at all.

‘P-please, it weren’t us! We jus’ found ou’. ‘Ad no idea it was even going on ’til they was in tha cell!’ Xander stammered out in one bad-grammar filled rush.

Miranda sighed, rubber her temples; it always gave her a headache when people let their emotions seep through the Connection. Particularly when it was fear or panic, two things Xander was certainly not lacking at the moment, as well us utter confusion.

‘Can’t punish us fo’ wha’ we did’na do, righ’? Stands to bloody reason…no disrespec’, you understand?’ He continued, much to Miranda’s displeasure.

She breathed deeply. Lucien had been working with her for years to contain her deadly anger, and now was certainly not the time to kill someone, particularly through the connection; that always left a psychic mess in your head and you had their last thoughts floating in your consciousness for days. But, eventually, she reached her bursting point and snapped at him, ‘Okay! I won’t punish you! Just tell me what happened!’