Into The Shadows

CHAPTER 8

She pointed her hands down as though she was diving into water. She could see the horrified faces of some of the thieves who were watching her descent. As she hurtled to the ground, she suddenly dove right into a thick shadow, as black as her tattoo. The moment she touched the shadows, she was enveloped into them like water swallowing her.

When she opened her eyes, she was floating in the Shadow's Abyss. She looked around and saw shadows shifting, and a few touched her arm or face and then hissed away.
"Hello?" She had never done this but knew the lore and what might happen.

"This is no place for the living," a shadow whispered. Mist turned around, glancing at the beings who were crowding around her.
"You speak my language?" she asked in surprise.

"Very few of us can," another one said, "but yes."

Mist recognized one of the shadows as the old Leader, Elijah.

"You. The last time we met you tried to kill me. You failed at that, but perhaps you can do something right for a change. Have your spies told you what Savini is planning?" she asked.

"We know, but you won't like it. For now you say goodbye," Elijah said.

"Wait! Don't leave! Come back!" Mist yelled as she was yanked out of the Abyss.
"No! Come back!" Mist cried. "Tell me what's going on!"

"Mist, snap out of it! You're talking too fast!" Stanton yelled, staring into Mist's hazel eyes.
"I have to go back! They have the information we need to defeat Savini!"

"Mist, no one can understand you!" Stanton yelled, shaking her again. Mist looked into his stormy eyes.
"I saw Elijah," she saw slowly. Stanton gasped.
"You saw him?" he asked.

The few words that Eli had spoken to her came rushing back to her, and she bolted upright in a panic. The vault! The code to indicate that the vault was damaged was 'For now you say goodbye'. The high ranking thieves in the Empire were the only ones who knew the code.

The most prized possession of the Empire was the vault. It was a room made of solid concrete, deep in the mantle of the planet. It held all their money, and highly coveted stolen goods. Without it, the Empire had no money.

"Get to the vault!" she roared, standing up. Pom took her shoulder before she could race away. "What's going on?" he asked. "Go to your quarters," Mist hissed through her teeth, then shoved past the confused Leaders.

Maelstrom stepped forward, practically glowing with rage. His cheek bled slightly, and Mist felt the shadow's power surging through her and it mixed with her anger. Maelstrom grabbed her arm and Mist's eyes sparked with black shadows, enveloping the hazel color and turning her eyes into a black darkness.
"Do not touch me," she growled, making each word harsh and distinct. Power spiked through her body and in a little black explosion, Maelstrom flew backward and hit a stalagmite, cracking it a little. Mist snorted at him, then turned on her heels with Stanton following.
"You have your key?" Mist hissed.

Stanton nodded, lightly touching a pouch on his chest.
"Your eyes..." he whispered, Mist glared at him.

"The Shadows are taking over," he said. She shut her eyes. When she got this angry her shadows took over and fueled her with energy. The Shadows were dangerous and powerful, but they rarely interfered. They were part of the afterlife of the thieves, and they helped them, but they were to be respected, and not toyed with. Why had they spoken to her with the code word, right here and right now, with all of this going on? They must be warning her.

"No matter," she said, taking another step into the only cave forbidden to enter. She took a step down and felt a shiver up her spine as she had a premonition. It's gone.

"Stanton! Run!" she screeched, then broke off into a sprint going farther down.

"It's right here!" Stanton yelled, pointing to the thick slab of concrete.
"Get your key!" Mist shouted as he fumbled at his pouch. They had to deactivate all the traps, and the delay was wearing on her patience.
"I've got it, now you use yours," he said. Mist rushed forward and held out her hand, as the shadows came out and formed a black key. She stuck it in the last lock and with a slow and loud creak the vault opened.

Where there should have been treasure and money piled up, spilling over golden urns and out of wooden chests, there was nothing. The vault was empty with only dead, empty, grey concrete everywhere.

Mist took a step back and clenched her fists. She melted into the shadows and shadow traveled back up to the main cave where the Leaders were still standing with confused expressions. Mist fell to her knees in despair and let out a roar of anger. Black shadow flames licked around her as power surged from her body. Cracks appeared around her, like spikes of pure darkness.

Let me out let me out, her last power chanted in her head. Mist was so consumed by rage as she looked up at the terrified Leaders, that she stood up and took a step forward. Her back itched and twitched slightly. Stanton appeared behind her.
"Mist, let them out and find whoever did this," he said. Mist growled in answer and shut her eyes and let them loose. Her nebulized wings unfurled and spread wide, in a nearly seventeen-foot wingspan. Patterns of shadows swirled with dark grey mist covered her wings. They were unlike bird's wings, or dragon's wings, but were like giant platforms, with spiked ends that were still flexible yet deadly. She beat them once and lifted off the ground.
"What in the heck is that?" Maelstrom screeched before being cut off by his own confusion. Mist opened her black eyes, no white left, just solid black like the shadows. She half hung down, in a way that made her look tired yet menacing at the same time. She looked up with her onyx eyes and surveyed her Empire. Beating her wings, she towered above everyone and swept over the town, dodging the artificial suns until she could see all of her inhabitants.
"EVERYONE!" she yelled, gathering the attention of all the thieves in the Empire. With sharp eyes that were enabled to see more clearly by the shadows, she spotted a nervous looking thief with his sleeves rolled up, and no tattoo.

With a sinister grin, she swooped down and grabbed him by the scruff of his armor, then flew back to where the leaders were. She slammed the thief on the ground, and he cried out in pain.

"Where is he?" she roared, reaching down and grabbing his armor to raise his upper half to meet her face. "Where is Savani now?" she yelled. He flinched and glanced at his pocket, where she heard a beep. She reached in and pulled out a small device. "A tracker, eh?" she asked. She crushed it with her bare hands, ignoring the sparking pain.

"He's on his way," the boy said, tears forming in his eyes. Mist picked him up and slammed him into a cave wall. "Mist!" Teardrop yelled as his mouth started trickling blood. Mist pointed to one of the guards.

"Take him and put him somewhere unpleasant," she said, as she turned away and folded her wings. "Your... your eyes," Farniir said. Mist blinked, and they changed back to their normal color.

"Get your armies, supplies, everything," she hissed. Then she turned to Stanton, who was clearly panting from sprinting back after her so fast. "Get an active evacuation ready," she ordered.

"W-why?" Stanton asked, looked fearful.

"Because Savini is coming, we have to evacuate the planet."