Darkness in Disguise

Chapter 13

The huge animal bursts through the treeline. Its feline body is covered in black and jade coloured fur.

Fear paralyses me, rooting my body to the log. Lenna screams beside me and Arazael leaps into a defensive standing position.

The animal lets out a terrifying roar, showing sharp, white teeth, each the length of my hand.

The camp erupts into chaos. All the guards run towards the beast, lunging at it with spears and whatever magic they have. It swipes its huge paws at them, taking down multiple at a time.

Lenna tugs on my arm and I finally snap out of my fear induced daze. I quickly scramble up to my feet and grab Lenna's hand.

Arazael shouts over all the noise of the attack, "Go! Get to my tent and hide." He tries to hide his fear but I see through his façade. He runs to join the guards fighting the beast.

I don't really see how Arazael's tent can save us but we begin to run towards it anyway, passing guards as we go. I glance back at the beast. It is still fighting, blood running from a few scratches but other than that it looks like it is winning. There are only about ten guards left.

As it swings its monstrous head around it catches sight of us running. Its giant, gleaming, yellow eyes latch onto us and it growls. Crouching down onto its haunches, it leaps over the guards, its powerful muscles rippling as it speeds towards us.

I look forward, dragging Lenna behind me. The tent is still a couple of paces away, we aren't going to make it.

I push Lenna towards it and swirl around, flinging my hands out in front of me. Maybe I can stop it with my magic.

I brace my feet in a fighting stance and dig down to reach my magic. Emptiness greets me.

Horror floods through me as I realise that I still can't reach it. Laeron's power is still smothering mine. I cannot defend myself.

I grit my teeth, my long canines drawing blood from my tongue as I try to push past the barrier separating me from my magic. The darkness pulses against me.

The beast is getting closer. Its maw open and dripping with saliva. I cannot let it get to Lenna. I push harder, drawing tears to my eyes...still nothing.

The beast is almost upon me now, it lunges towards me, claws stretched out to shred my body to pieces. I brace my arms across my face, ready for the pain. I hear Lenna scream...

The pain does not come.

I lower my arms.

The beast is frozen in front of me, its hot breath brushing against my face. I look to the side to see Arazael with his hands out in front of him, dark shadows swirling around them. The same shadows are surrounding the beast.

His face is screwed up in concentration but he quickly glances at me then back to the beast. Quickly his wrists flick and the beast's neck snaps and it drops to the ground. The force of it knocks me down onto the ground.

There is silence in the camp. Everybody is shocked. The power the prince just displayed...

Arazael rushes towards me, kneeling on the grass in front of me. He scans my body.

"Are you hurt?" His voice has a tinge of concern. Why does he care if I am injured? It must be his father, he has been instructed to not let anything happen to me. If he did he would probably be punished too. But the look in his eyes hints at something different.

I stay silent, too shocked to do anything other than shake my head. My eyes meet his. Relief shines in them.

Lenna crashes down next to me, her hands going to my arms.

"My Lady, are you alright?" She shouts.

I break eye contact with Arazael and look toward her. "Yes Lenna, I'm fine....He saved me." I glance back to Arazael again. He nods and rises to his feet.

Lenna helps me to stand, her hands shaking.

"Are you ok Lenna, you're not injured are you?"

She shakes her head at me. "I'm fine my lady, thanks to you." She engulfs me in a hug.

I look at Arazael over her shoulder. He holds eye contact with me before facing the guards.

"I think we need to pack up and move out, this clearing isn't safe anymore, there could be more of them coming. All remaining guards take the tents down and mount up. Move as quickly as you can. We will ride for the rest of the night." His authority rings out in his command.

The remaining ten guards nod at him and set out to follow the orders, making quick work of the tents and equipment. Lenna steers me towards the horses who are, miraculously, still tethered to their posts. They seem a bit spooked, but otherwise unharmed.

We saddle them up quickly and then mount them. The guards begin to strap their equipment to their horses, keeping their swords within close reach. Everybody will be even more alert after tonight.

I tug on Thunder's reigns and guide her back to the path. Lenna follows suit on her own blonde mare, she stays as close as possible to my horse.

We begin to move out, careful not to make too much noise in case we wake up any other creatures lurking in the night. Arazael falls back to the middle of the line where Lenna and I ride, surrounded by soldiers. His leg brushes mine in a fleeting touch as he lines up his black stallion with Thunder. His horse whinnies gently.

Thirty minutes into the ride he turns to look at me. The darkness causes shadows to conceal half of his face; the little moonlight that reaches through the trees highlighting his cheekbones and reflecting in his eyes.

He watches me for a moment.

"What you did for Lenna today was very brave. You hardly know her and yet you were willing to sacrifice your life for her." His voice is a whisper, an underlying tone of amazement softening his words.

I look to him before turning my head to observe Lenna. She slumps slightly in her saddle, head drooped downwards and eyes beginning to fall shut.

My voice is quiet and kind as I reply. "She is an innocent girl, she needs to be protected. It's what anyone would have done." I shrug my shoulders.

Arazael shakes his head. "Not just anyone."

"You would have too." My voice doesn't pose a question. I believe he would, despite who he has been raised as. I saw it in him today.

Arazael looks to me in confusion and disbelief. I lift my shoulders up in a shrug.

"I still don't like you...but you saved me. You could have chosen to let that monster kill me but you didn't. I think you would have done the same if it was Lenna in its path."

His eyes flash with emotion before they harden and his voice becomes cold. "Make no mistake Myria, I did not save you because I have compassion. My father would have been furious if I had let you die and that is not something that I want to face. I wouldn't have saved you or Lenna if it had been under any other circumstance."

He spurs his horse to trot back to the front, leaving me blinking in shock over his words. I shake it away. I should not have been so easily blind to his true nature. I thought that he might be different than his father, but I guess I thought wrong.

I silently strengthen my resolve, coldness flooding over the cracks in my defences, welding them shut once more. I will not allow him the chance to hurt me. I must remain indifferent, if only to save Lenna and Saria, my only friends in this place.

I will become cold, as cold as the water that runs through my veins.

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And so it begins....