Lost Souls

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

*Ember*

The darkness engulfed her entirely and she felt like poor Whisper, the darkness made her mind race and her heart beat wildly. Taking a deep breath she tightened her grip on her stallions reins. She put on a brave face even though no one could see it, it made her feel better. She had never been this deep in the woods and it was a very frightening place. It seemed like they had been walking through the thick vines and trees forever.

It was eerily silent and all she could hear was the heavy footfalls of her fellow travelers and the hooves ploding in the dirt. The wind barely rustled the leaves but it still made Ember almost jump out of her skin. How had it gotten so quiet all the sudden? It was like they stepped into a dark hole. Looking around she tried to see through the shrow of darkness but saw nothing.

Then all the sounder light pierced the veil of darkness and she heard the snort of whisper at the front almost like a sigh of relief. Stumbling out into the glaring light they were no longer under the canopy of trees but in a huge field. The sun was hanging low in the horizon only adding to the glare. Shielding her eyes she followed behind the sound of Nero and Rayne blindly. Slowly she blinked out the dark spots in her eyes and gasped at the sight.

Huge ruins jutted up from the ground weathered by time and covered in thorns. She had never seen anything like it before. Huge slabs of rocks were piled one on top of the other and seemed to reach toward the heavens. Huge shard of colorful glass laid littered in the overgrown grass almost choked out by the weeds. Widening her eyes she turned to look at Cheyenne, who looked not surprised by the sight.

“What is this place?” Rayne asked breathlessly as she laid eyes on the golden fountains. Ajad stepped up into his saddle turning the scarred  war horse toward the princess.

“This is the city of the dead.” He uttered in his slanted english and a chill ran down Ember’s spine as she turned to look at the ruins again. Worn dark satin curtains fluttered in the shattered windows like the wind had just began to blow inside. She shivered fear churning in her stomach.

Taking a deep breath she continued forward onto the cobblestone streets behind everyone else. She constantly threw her gaze over her shoulder into the windows of the buildings feeling she was being watched. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up and set her teeth on edge.  Cheyenne and Ajad in the front walked through the ruins like they had been here a thousand times, but Ember placed each footstep carefully her gaze traveling over all  the deserted buildings. after what seemed like forever they came to the tallest of building, the sun was finally dipping below the horizon. Ember’s limbs sagged with fatigue and her head was aching from lack of water.

The group halted in front of the huge building that still had most of its windows intacted. It looked like it had housed many people before it had been deserted. It looked like in its prime it had been quiet beautiful and welcoming, but in the dark it looked foreboding and it screamed danger. The colorful windows were now black in the darkness and the whispering curtains looked like dancing shadows flicking out into the night air. Cheyenne and Ajad walked up the steps and both pulled on the oak door handle. It screeched as they hefted it open making Ember’s spine tingle and her blood run cold. Something about this place seemed so wrong.

“What are you doing? We are not sleeping in there are we?” Ember pipped up finally and the Princess and Nero had the same question in there eyes. Ajad looked angry for a moment but Cheyenne rested a hand on his arm making him too look at her as she spoke.

“This is the safest place to stay and it is something you also need to see.” Her voice was serious and her pale green eyes looked like emeralds in the little light they had left from the fading horizon. Ajad took her hand and they disappeared into the total darkness of the building. Nero looked back at Ember before he took the Princess’s arm protectively and they to disappeared into the doorway. Ember bit her lip and looked around walking up the steps. She could not shake the feeling of being watched and it made her on edge, she knew she would not sleep tonight.