Silver Cathedral Saga: Observer Chronicles, Book 1

Into the Dark

Eleanor and her mother were farming vegetation. It was a dull activity, but things that people do so much that they don't love, are. It goes without questioning how important a task this was for this family either way.

There were several small fields of food the two females needed to harvest that was their own, some, to be sold. Almost everybody in the village was a farmer. It was the primary surviving job there.

These people among themselves sold and bought each others resources of food and materials. Some even traded, but there were few who did, as this was a, 'if you produce it you use it' village.

Eleanor's mother was just about to finish the last carrot, which she noticed did not grow very well. She then placed her right hand above it in the soil, and it began to grow, rapidly, right in front of her eyes; she took away her hand and pulled the carrot out of the ground when Christian and his family walked by. The vegetable was unusually large now compared to the rest when it landed in the basket.

"Luna," said Christian's mum.

Eleanor's mother tilted her head to see who it was, and got up. "Keeping busy as always, I see," said Christian's mum again.

Christian's sister said a warm "hello" to Eleanor and Luna, then smiled.

Both replied with a wave and "hello Miyah". They grinned at her before shifting their attention back to Christian's mum.

"You know me, Mia. How's it all going with you anyway?"

Eleanor got closer to Christian and started talking to him behind the wooden small fence that divided the pathway and their fields.

"We meeting at the well again today?" said Christian.

Eleanor nodded. "As always. Not that they'll be anything worth doing there."

"The weeks seem to get worse as we grow older, don't they?" said Christian.

"More than I can bare sometimes," replied Eleanor. "I'm sure we'll find something to entertain us . . . one day."

"Perhaps," said Christian. "But until then, we'll just have to get on with this boring lifestyle of ours."

"Come on then," said Mia to her own family. "Nice talking to you again."

"You too. Remember, be round here at five. We'll have another chat, and with some much needed mead to go along with it."

"Don't worry, I'll be here. And no doubt this one," said Mia gesturing towards Christian, "will be hanging about with your Eleanor tonight at the same time too."

They all said "bye" cheerily.

Luna stared at where Mia's family was for a good while before her daughter interrupted:

"Mum, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," she said with a little smile curl from one side of her mouth. "It's just the little things . . ."

"Little things?" questioned Eleanor somewhat worried at what would come next.

"Yes, the little things. The little things in life that make it . . . bearable." She looked at her child. "Except you." She lifted her daughter up into the air; her hands shook a little, straining to carry the weight. Rays from the sun now came out and shone on her face, making it hard for Luna to see her properly. "You are my big thing in life—never forget it."

Eleanor's mother embraced her; the daughter wrapped her legs around Luna in an awkward manner, looking like she was about to fall, hugging what was left of her family.

It came to night, the longest part of the day.

Luna and Mia were inside Eleanor's home whilst their children were outside with each other, as usual; they were near the well at the back of their village.

Hiva Aura, being as dull as it was, gives few reasons to worry mothers about the safety of their children. Most of the kids played at night, in the dark. But then, the night was as much a part of the day to them as the light, at least the earlier parts.

Especially with the help of their star bracelets.

In the early hours of night—a disturbing yelp echoed through the air, like something gave a potent pain, and what was even more worrying was how quick this sound died into nothingness. Miyah was with her mother Mia inside, and also Luna.

All three of them left the house from a simple curiosity taunting them in their minds, especially the mothers', and when they did, there was a lot of other Astorians looking to see what was happening at the same time as them.

More and more started to come out of their homes made of mud and straw with each passing second. And there it was.

Numbers, only a few to begin with, but black numbers; like shadows roaming through the night. Roaming with the night.

Then, there was even more Astorians coming out of their homes, until the whole village must have been looking in the direction of this one sound being turned into two, then three, then four. Then lots more, and no, they never did die, not for as long as they looked.

The first scream that darted through the air sank on all those who heard it; and many hearts sank with it too, knowing a terrible burden—had come to them. Yet they all had to see this first before letting it take hold of their lives.

The Astorians scrunched up their faces from the growing screeches of pain. Noises began to suffocate the air, their ears and minds.

Like a flock in danger, they all moved to run from these sounds, including Luna, Mia and Miyah.

All three went to the back of the village; to see if Eleanor and Christian were okay, and to hopefully take them to safety.

They all ran with fear, pounding the muddy trodden path many boots had stomped against before them, hoping to outrun the threat and catch their children.

They were now nearing the small hill the well sat on, and could see nothing of Eleanor or Christian, their daughter and son. One belonging to each. The three still pursued to go to the top, as they had a better chance of seeing them then, and if the enemy was coming for them already.

"Eleanor," shouted Luna on and on.

Mia shouted for her own son, but the mothers couldn't see or hear anything of them as they went up the slope. Miyah shouted both names along with them. They all began to breathe hard, getting near the top and still nothing was heard or seen of their beloveds.

"Where are they?" shouted Miyah, making the mothers' even more worried, if that was at all possible.

They were at the top, and it was only now that all three decided to look back at the piercing noises that ran straight through all.

"By the gods," whispered Luna in fright, not able to speak at a reasonable level.

Mia couldn't say anything and flung herself onto her mother, as if Miyah could stop it all; she was overwhelmed with what was in front of her eyes now, they both were, but Miyah tried to stay strong for her daughter at this time.

"They're back," said Luna looking out to the shadowlike beings. "We've never seen them in numbers like this before." Luna shook her head slightly whilst saying the last sentence, disbelieving everything that was taking place in front.

Everything right then changed and shifted.

Eleanor's mother knew immediately what the numbers of an army this big meant for their world.