The Shadow Morpher-Book 2

Chapter 4

This is the 4th chapter! Once more, I'm dedicating it to one of my loyal readers so please comment so I know who you are! And I'm sorry if I haven't managed to dedicate on to you yet. I will get to it, it's just that not all the chapters are out yet. The picture on the side is of Sapphire. :)

Chapter 4

          The girl jumped up. She was quite pretty with short shoulder-length blonde hair cut in a wedge, longer at the front so her hair swept in front of her eyes. She wore a white silk gown trimmed in gold braid that fell to her ankles.

         Her hands instantly brought up her staff and dagger. Both her weapons resembled Dahlia’s own. She crossed them in an ‘X’ above her chest, a fighting stance that symbolized a strong fighter.

        “Leave now!” she snapped.

        Before Troy could reply, he felt the shaft of an arrow at his throat. Troy looked around but no one was in sight, The bow and its owner were invisible.

        He sidestepped, trying to get away from the arrow’s bite. Instead, the deadly weapon followed him, the point close to puncturing is skin.

        Luna stepped in, her bow and a silvery arrow pointed straight at the girl. The blonde spun her weapons towards the newcomer but Kayla intervened before the girl could speak.

        “Stop!” she shouted. “Sapphire!”

        Sapphire dropped her weapons in shock but she did not bother to pick them up again. She peered into the half-darkness of the Catacombs.

        “Kayla?” she asked, half-incredulous, half-hopeful.

        Kayla ran into the room and the next second, they were hugging. Sapphire was laughing with happiness. Cedric staggered into the room, barely able to support Dahlia’s dead weight for any longer.

        Kayla and Sapphire broke apart from their embrace and Sapphire turned towards where Troy was, addressing the invisible person.

        “Tam, it’s fine. Let the Magician of Fire go,” she said.

        Troy felt the pressure at his neck ease slightly and a boy materialized in front of him. Tam had shaggy brown hair and wore a loose black leather jacket. He had a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder and held a bow and arrow in his hands.

        Tam turned and nodded to Kayla. “Hello, Kayla.”

        “Tamarak,” Kayla turned his greeting.

        “Why did you come?” Sapphire asked. “Not that I’m not happy to see you though. It has been many years.”

        “Yes, it has been six years,” Kayla replied. “You are right, of course, Sapphire. Dahlia is hurt.”

        Kayla gestured to Dahlia whom Cedric was still supporting. Sapphire grimaced at the sight. She scooped up her staff and dagger.

        “Bring her here,” Sapphire told Cedric.

        Troy ran forward and took Dahlia from Cedric. Her forehead was damp and dangerously hot to the touch. Almost every tendon in her neck and veins were poisonous green.

        Troy carried her over to where Sapphire was. He laid her down gently on a blanket which lay by the campfire.

        Sapphire knelt down at Dahlia’s side and began inspecting the poison. She poked at Dahlia’s open wounds on her back with her dagger.

        “What is this poison, Kayla?” Sapphire asked. “I have not seen anything like it before.”

        “It is one of Varmer’s cruel inventions,” Luna replied, before Kayla could.

        Sapphire glanced up and met their eyes. Obviously what she saw was enough to tell her not to ask any more questions. She pointed her staff at Dahlia and began to sing in the ancient language.

        “Szol, szol, lhayi, szol rhugal dhiy luyi,” she intoned. (Heal, heal, make her strong. Heal the poison with my song).

        Sapphire sang on and on, working magic with all her energy. Her voice was lively and sweet but as she continued, it began to grow hoarse.

        When her head drooped, Kayla and Tamarak gave her energy from their auras. After a while, Luna and Cedric followed suit. Troy knelt at Dahlia’s side, his eyes locked on her still form. He didn’t move even an inch.

         “How much longer?” Kayla asked, grimacing. “I don’t have much left, and I don’t think that Tamarak has any either.”

        “Not much,” Tamarak admitted. “Look at the poison.”

        The poison was slowly flowing out of Dahlia’s veins. More than half had gone, leaving the remainder of her skin normal.

        “Are you guys okay?” Cedric asked.

        “I have nothing left,” Tamarak gasped and his hand fell away.

        Sapphire sagged as the energy that came from him vanished as he lost physical contact with her. Kayla grabbed her around the waist before she could fall.

         “Troy, can you help her?” Luna hissed.

        Reluctantly, Troy placed his hand on Sapphire’s shoulder. Instantly, he felt his body temperature and aura flowing up his arm and out through Sapphire’s magic.

         After a short while, Kayla collapsed too, leaving Luna, Cedric and Troy to help Sapphire. The poison was more than half gone.

        Cedric and Luna gave way too; there was only a small amount of poison left in Dahlia’s veins. Troy remained where he was, desperately trying to funnel his energy into Sapphire.

        Finally, the last of the green poison oozed away and vanished. None of them dared to breathe. Dahlia looked like a corpse, still and white in the firelight.

        Troy checked his watch. The alarm went off for the midnight hour. Time was up.