Belle stared at the white high vaulted ceiling, the warm light from the candles on the chandelier above illuminated the room, extinguishing the dark forms that formed behind objects. Her hazel eyes trailed around the room, tearing past the wide vintage walk in wardrobe brimmed with priceless mirrors and clothes that were out of this world to carpeted floors sown in with the finest of velvet silk. The smell of tea filled the air, reminding her of the tea cup that laid at the floor of her queen sized bed, just underneath the lavender drapes, discarded. The sleeping herbs that had become a regularity in her tea had yet to bring forth fruit like the maid that had failed to collect the tea cup away, already getting irritated at the clutter of the teacup that somehow blotched where it sat on the floor.
Sitting up straight with sleep no where in sight, Belle rose her left hand to the thin rope that dangled a little distance from where she lay on her bed with the mind of calling that maid to fire her. The howling wind slashed at the window, breaking the anger that threatened to spill out on the poor maid she had made an effort to send for. Belle's eyes strayed to the window which was usually hidden away by a thin lilac curtain which was now twirled to the side. It sat directly behind a velvet sofa which stood a little distance from the bed, up a couple of carpeted steps and was also enclosed in a similitude of drapes which formed an alcove.
Belle noticed the snow that strapped the glass, white snowflakes wiping down its length as the pelting snow continued steadfastly with the wind whipping harshly.
I hope father returns home safely.
The king had yet to return from the Dreoleon kingdom for the peace treaty, Belle wandered whether her extra anxiety stemmed from the memory of what had occurred when her father had left on an outing a few years ago. Belle managed a calming breath, trying to shut out the scary thoughts that sought passage into her mind. Allowing a hand to push back a dark ringlet that fell right beside her cheek, she lay back down. Belle shut her eyelids, forcing herself to give into sleep. Chills crept up her spine at the refusal for herself to surrender to the abyss of sleep. Her eyes cracked open again at the sound of a hollow thump, her eyes snapped to the side looking for forms that didn't belong. Although she didn't show it, her heart pounded hard in her chest and the smallest slither of sweat broke down her neck.
"I need more tea, that's it." She sat up straight once again and as she was about to take hold of the rope, a couple of knocks came from the window. Her heart leapt in her throat, her eyes narrowing despite the clench of the sheets in her pale hands. A flash whipped through her mind, a burly man with a huge amount of body hair with the official sigil, a grand star, of the kingdom of Aui sticking out like a sore thumb in his pitch black coat. Sweat now pulled down her back faster as her mind was pushed back in a hurry down the dark dusty lane. He had come in the dead of the night after her father had left the castle to one of the neighboring dutchies in the east, seeking to restore balance to the war ridden place. Belle remembered how she had sat on the bed, poring over her new dress designs that she was sure her father would applaud when he returned then the assassin had come in through the window. How he had entered she was still yet to discover. With a sword sharper than any she had ever seen, he had crept up to her, slashing her arm within the blink of an eye.
Her heart dropped. Belle remembered how an agonizing scream of pain had escaped her throat, filling the hall with the tormenting gutteral noise. The blood had splattered her carefully drawn notes, her eyes blurring from the pain that made her hunch over. If not for the loyal knight that had decided to patrol the king's quarters that very night, she would have been dead. Her eyes swelled up as she fingered her arm which was hidden away in the tarps of silk that formed her night dress but she could almost see through to the stitches that held the large gash together.
Belle gulped again. Another set of knocks emanated from the window, glass tapping faintly through her ears. Blood began to pound rapidly, her dainty fingers trembling as she forced herself to breathe normally. The tapping grew louder, forcing a surge of trepidation down her body. Belle tugged at the other rope at her right and immediately five soldiers from her personal guard swooped into the room, arms drawn to the black hilt of their curved double edged swords. Each of them wore plain black leather tunics with matching dark tights, emblazoned with the sigil of their kingdom which was the golden sun. The tallest man of the group whom had white hair, his wrinkled and scarred gaunt face having seen better days looked towards her. In a rough voice he asked,
"What's the matter, princess?"
"I heard someone knocking on the window." In an instant, the captain strayed towards the window, the guards following behind with tension clouded features. He had looked out for a few minutes before announcing to her that there was in fact no one there.
"Are you trying to say I am deaf?! I can in fact assure you that I heard someone knocking on my window and if my finding is true and someone tries to break into my room again, I will make sure you are all beheaded for being such fools especially since your colleagues were excused after the first attempt." All guards knelt down confessing that they would never allow such to happen though she noticed all the guard excluding the captain rolling their eyes at her, not convinced by her threat since her father never treated execution as levelly as the other kings did. Belle took in a sharp breath, annoyed for the fear that still encased her till this moment. After the captain had affirmed severally that they would ensure her optimum safety and for once she noticed how tired he looked, rather reluctantly she dismissed them.
Belle turned, lifting her pillow to reveal a stash of white fresh papers on top of which sat a quill and ink bottle. Belle pulled them out and for what felt like the umpteenth time, she held the quill tightly with a tremble running up her fingers. Her breath caught in her throat as the end of the quill faintly drew down a line, smudging the paper with the bluish black ink. A memory filled her mind and once again she saw the blood that coated her note, the crimson liquid sinking talons into the picturesque drawings she had made.
After she had recovered, she had immediately discarded the book, the blood doing so much damage and no matter how much she did, she could barely do a single sketch even after the years that had passed, five to be precise. The knocking continued, resulting to a number of times that Belle had called the guards, each search they had undertaken resulted to a fruitless venture and the guards were finding it difficult to hide their annoyance. Another couple of knocks bled through her ears, Belle was about to pull on the rope to beckon on the guards but on second thought she decided not to.
Instead, Belle eased her way to the edge of her large bed before hopping down to the carpeted floor. Her heavy breaths filled the room as her heart banged in her ribcage. The knocking reduced to a clicking sound as the faint sound of breathing escaped the tiny gap between the window and the window sill in which was enclosed by black metallic netting. Belle pulled up a robe that was draped over a purple arm chair that stood beside her bed and slipped it over her body, the warm wool encasing her frame before she fastened the rope around her waist.
The warmth that came from the furnace that burnt brightly at the north wall could not banish the nipping cold that touched her spine.
Grabbing a large rod that stood slanted against the wall, she stepped towards the sound, her arms tense and her breaths shallowing. Belle let the worst scenarios escape her mind, trying to force down her rapid breathing. While clutching the cold rod like her life depended on it, Belle latched onto the cold cream colored window handle.
The snow continued to pelt the outside furiously, obscuring her vision of what lay beyond. With all the courage she could muster, she turned the handle which produced a snap. As soon as she opened it, Belle side stepped the screen of the window and a body flung through the air, following it the pelting snow. Belle, with her eyes on the figure shrouded in the dark cloak closed the window, her body shaking from the intense drop in temperature. The flames of the grand furnace continued on, now surging up to its former glory after the extinction of the chilly air.
"As the Crown Princess of Grilon Kingdom, I command you to explain your actions before I turn you over to the guards for breaking in and attempted assault!" Belle narrowed her eyes at the figure, tightening her hold on the rod. The figure turned, revealing a girl that looked no more than 12. The girl had green eyes framed by thick dark lashes that Belle could only dream of having. For some reason though there was an air that surrounded the girl that made Belle feel that she was much older than she actually looked. The girl's blonde curls hung down her back, similar to the ancient looking golden brooch that held her cloak together at her slightly tanned neck. Belle stared at the brooch for a moment, a dim glow emanated from it. Tightening her grip, she allowed her eyes to snap back to the girl's face. The girl bowed slightly, face to the floor.
"I don't-"
"Forgive me for my intruding, Princess Belle Anastasia Adri of Grilon." The soothing tone of her voice surprised Belle for a moment, startling her with the ancient timbre that spoke of years worth of wisdom belieing her small frame. Pulling out of the daze, Belle straightened up.
"At least you know your superiors but perhaps you would give me a reason why you seek out to disturb my beauty sleep at such an hour as this?" The tiredness that breathed down on her intensified but the horrors in her mind were too jarring to allow her mind succumb to the bliss of a goodnight sleep. The barrage of questions continued in her mind, pushing from one corner to another as she studied the girl closely.
Who was this girl?
Why would she be by my window?
How did she get past all the guards?
What did she want?
"I come with urgent news, princess." Her blood roared loudly as tension clouded the air. Belle felt the tension that froze her slightly slacking shoulders, her lips dry. She hid the tremble in her hands by smoothing the red woolen robe.
"Speak."
"Your father has been pulled into the shadow realm by shadow prowlers." Confusion pulled her arched eyebrows up. A silence descended over them as the girl met Belle's gaze with a levelled intensity. Despite the tension that pierced through their bubble, Belle could barely contain the giggle that escaped her lips. She brought a hand to touch her lips, allowing the laugh to die back in her throat. Belle tightened her grip on the rod.
I see that this girl is mad.
"I see you are one of those eccentric peasants that seek to play tricks on your princess." Belle fingered the rod, her annoyance bubbling within her.
"I can assure you that if you leave and return to whichever place you came from, I will forget that you ever came or existed. Now you-"
"Princess, shall I show you instead?" Belle would have laughed at her, cackling in her face of the naivety of the child to believe the legends of old. But her gaze, ancient and intensifying chilled the hot laughter, making it to never reach its destination. The girl lifted her left hand, sending her cloak swaying to the side revealing a long sleeved silver tunic which ended in dark tights with gold encrusted ends, the linings faintly shimmering from sparkles. Belle jerked when a hollow ripple shredded through the air, a screen formed out of thin air, innards bursting like water before the mecury like surface evened out. Belle, transfixed in wonder, watched as a snow covered landscape glided into view. The snippet showed how her father held up an ancient torch made of a burning gold and in thin air, a dark purple portal spread far and wide throbbing into existence. Even from where she was, Belle could feel the sinister energy that flowed out of it. Before her father could speak, he was pulled into the portals by sharp talons like hands and then the screen dissolved into nothingness, a shimmer of smoke left as its remains. Belle's throat tightened, eyes bulging in disbelief. Silence drenched them both as they stared down at each other.
"Who are you?"
"That does not matter, all that matters is that your father is rescued from the shadow realm. The longer he stays, the more likely for him to be tainted and turn into a shadow also, humans can't resist the darkness that rests in that realm." Belle could not believe her ears, her heart pounded so quickly in her chest. Her legs felt like jelly as she tightened her hold on the rod. Belle could hardly believe any of these actually existed, the legends of old spoke about a multitude of realms, realm keepers and other mythical beings that seemed more child's play than real life but the situation before her proved otherwise. Despite the trembling that grew down her fingers and the black ink of fear that dropped down her canvas she knew she would be willing to do anything for her father.
"Where do we even start?" She gripped the rod tighter.
"At the forgotten isles, where snow is as far as the eyes can see there all life becomes a dream. That is what the legends told you, isn't it?" The girl tilted her head with a knowing smile. Still at a loss for words, Belle merely nodded, her mind unable to wrap itself around this horrible reality.
"Best we get going before it's too late though I suggest you change." The unsettling feeling continued to stir in her stomach. Belle soon changed into a thick fur coat paired with dark tights and long fur padded boots with a dark scarf wrapped around her neck. Belle met the girl's eyes roaming around the room, a flicker of familiarity pulsing within them.
"It's best we get going then." The girl raised her hand slightly. A dim crackling tore through the air. A surge of light pulsed out of the gauntlet connecting with thin air to form a portal that spun in on itself. The girl entered, disappearing into the warm yellow light. Belle looked out the window, her fingers trembling.
Father, what exactly were you thinking?
With that, she slammed down on her fears before thrusting herself through the portal which closed behind her, shimmering dust faintly falling to the floor behind them.
***
Belle jerked out as she stumbled onto the ice. The chills clogged the bottom of her spine. Her lips quivered as she rubbed her arms over the woolen coat, her scarf faintly brushing against her cracked lips. The girl walked right before her, her feet striding quickly through the thick snow. The pelting snow dappled her hair before sliding down. Belle's nose wrinkled.
The girl suddenly stopped, Belle noticing stopped also. The air around them was charged, tensed and congested. The clouds were a dull grey, thatched with spikes of a clogging black that seemed to thicken the tension that lay hold of the environment. Belle looked around, her eyes straying through the snow covered land that seemed to go on forever. Belle caught the girl on all fours, sniffing the snow. Before Belle could ask, the girl got back up before she poked a finger in mid air. A blast of the nipping wind splayed past them before another large portal opened up. Belle almost fell back from the darkness that swarmed around from where she assumed to be where the portal led to.
"Take this." Belle collected a ring from her outstretched hand, she admired the ethereal nature of the green gem that laid at the very top of the silver ring. She slid onto her middle finger.
"Oh-"
"The ring is supposed to prevent you from being tainted in the shadow realm so don't take it off." The girl urged her, eyes straying back to the portal that seemed to open up to an abyss of darkness. Belle held her breath as they both stepped inside. Her stomach dropped, the icy feeling wading through her. Her blood seemed to congeal as she had difficulty breathing. Before she knew it, the familiar feeling of gravity gripped her, sending her falling to the ground.
The girl landed gracefully on her feet as Belle raised her head, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. The girl helped Belle stand even as she sucked in a breath. The world around her was dappled in a disturbing shade of grey and black, gnarled trees grew up to the sky, spilling black latex that had the thick scent of decay. Clouds were barely in sight, the dead scent of the deceased rushing through her nostrils. Patches of grey grass opened up to loopy paths that had potholes and boulders scattered about, the faintest splotch of black suspended limply in the air.
"How are we supposed to find where my father is?"
"Simple. I got his scent, so no need to worry."
The girl whipped out her hand with the gauntlet and a shimmer of white light spurted out before forming a white orb that enclosed them. As if knowing the questioning look that Belle gave her, the girl quickly said.
"It will keep us from being detected from the shadows, it cloaks our essence but it won't last for long though." The girl led the way, their feet skipping into a walk as they trudged down a winding path, the hollow thumps of their boots barely overshadowing the palpitating of Belle's heart. Belle could have sworn she could feel gazes stuck to her back.
"So, who are you anyway?" Belle asked trying to distract herself from the thickening fog of darkness that seemed to choke her with their presence.
"You won't let this go, will you? Well, I am Mitra, one of the realm keepers." Belle looked up at the sky, the faint rustling of dead grey leaves caused a stir of agitation within her gut. The forest thickened as sickly branches began to poke into their path.
"I still can't believe your lot actually exists." Belle whispered to herself. The girl sighed, her eyes straying upwards before settling straight ahead again.
"The human race isn't the same as it was a thousand years ago when i was growing up." Belle's eyes bulged.
"A thousand years? You're joking, right?" The forest thinned, scaly trees reducing as a vast plain opened up in front of them, splayed along it were a multitude of rocks laid along what used to be small water beds. Mitra brought a hand up to her lips, quieting Belle who glared at her before pulling away.
In front of them were the one thing that Belle had dreaded seeing, the shadows. They came in all forms some were just mere dots that swirled
around while some were large with thin tapering bodies. Some had tiny lips that were barely noticeable in their black thin bodies while some had zig zag gashes that spread across their wide faces revealing yellowed fangs.
Up close they were more scary, Belle held her breath as they walked past them but what terrified her most was the razor red eyes that seemed to look straight through the orb at them. The bile in her throat thickened as she watched a shadow decimate another shadow, talons ripping through it before it fell back down in pieces all that was left being a tiny fragment of black that shuddered upwards before disappearing amidst the black liquid that rolled across the soil.
The path soon dropped down, swirls of darkness thinning the path as they trudged carefully, stray rocks skittering down the shaky edges of the path. Goosebumps rose up her arms as Belle fought to force down the bile that bobbed up her throat. Belle took a moment to level her suppressed erratic breathing, the dusty air plunging fingers into her nose.
"Your father's in there." Mitra pointed ahead, following her gaze Belle spotted a fortress that stood at the end of the steep narrow path. The brown walls were caked in mud, swathes of black forming arches along the wall with cracks overrunning the edges. It had three high towers erected along the old wall, the highest of them all was hordes by a cloud of darkness that seemed to thicken with every second that passed.
"Are you sure he is in there?"
"As sure as I can ever be." Belle released a shaky breath even as they continued down the path. Belle focused on being able to put one foot in front of the other even as her stomach was swamped with a palpable tension of its own. Bel
Soon, they reached the towering double doors of the fortress or at least what remained of it, the right one barely hanging on its hinges and the sane traces of black gliding along the stone doors. They both walked past the gap in between the. meeting a dark hall. Simultaneously, the white orb erased out of existence with a faint pop. Belle let out a small squeal before holding onto Mitra.
Belle stared at the inner darkness, the swarming hordes of black filling the very rim of her vision. The stale smell of decay spread out before her, the absence of the orb intensifying the diffusion of the aroma.
"Don't you have any light on that thing on your hand? You can't expect me to walk in there, practically blind!"
"I can assure you, princess that the shadows will be able to sense us if I produce any form of light. Just stay close to me, princess." With a huff and the tapping of her boots against the cobblestone, Belle grabbed Mitra's hand. Belle almost gasped under the rock-like grip that Mitra had. Belle scrunched her face, for once not thinking about whining since she was sure they would spot them both. They both descended into the darkness.
Belle stumbled through the darkness, her leg almost catching onto different objects and loose bricks in the flooring. If not for Mitra's hand around her own, Belle would have gone crashing into the floor one too many times. Her breaths wheezed out from the tight muscles in her chest. Belle could barely see anything and a block suddenly dropped down her stomach.
What if we were all wrong?
What if I die?
What if I never see father?
Through the darkness, she felt tears spring up to her eyelids. Belle wondered how long they had been here as they trudged through the darkness with the Mitra leading the way. Belle had almost given up on the likelihood of them finding her father especially until they entered another hall. The humongous hall had arched vaulted ceilings made of cobblestone, four grand windows without glass allowed illumination in the huge hall .
A loud screech captured her attention. Suddenly, Mitra pushed her and Belle to the ground, ducking behind the lathe vase that kept them hidden under its shadows. Stars exploded in Belle's eyes. Before she could let out a yelp, Mitra pushed a finger to Belle's lips. Belle was about to slap her finger away when a large shadow zoomed past them. His large wispy figure made them look like dwarves, like everything else in the hall. Fear spiked in her, rolling through her entire body. The urge to run away flagged off in her mind, giving her the green light as her muscles tensed.
A light whimper caught her ears, Belle's eyes snapped up and now she noticed a bird cage in the middle of a depressed circle at the centre of the hall. His matted brown locks stuck to his face with his clothes a sketch of rips and jagged tears of all kinds. Dirt and blood plastered his face through it all he looked rather ghastly. Belle gasped, shoving her hands into her mouth.
"I promise you I will pay double the gold, triple in fact. Just please let me go." The shadow seemed to delight in the fear that his human captive. Mitra stood up before shifting to her knees, eyeing the shadow with calculating eyes. Belle rolled on her stomach, feeling the uneven layout underneath causing her a jab of pain from where a block stood on top of another. Belle stood up also, her chest pacing rapidly.
"N...oo w..hyy do y..ou.. s..a.y that. Yo.. are the f..irs..t human I h..av.e se..en in ce..nature..s. A.... li..ttl..e snac...k wi..ll not hu..rt-"
"I promise I will give you all the gold I have!" The shadows stood in front of him, eyes blaring brightly in the crackling silence. The shadow smiled, his teeth evident through the animated looking gash that was its mouth. A deep rumble escaped it's throat, rocking the building slightly. Belle watched her father tumble back as a roofing tile clanked against the floor. Belle's throat tightened.
"As.. mu..c..h a..s I li..k..e sh..iny, a hu..ma..n d..es...ert w..I..ll be m..ore sat..isf..yin..g." With that, the shadow grabbed the cage, heaving it upwards as her father fell to the side his head snapping against the metal rings of the cage. He slumped, unconscious. Belle choked on a sob as tears fled out of her eyes. The shadow began pulling at the locked gate of the cage, drool dancing along his mouth.
"I am going to do all I can to distract that shadow, get your father as soon as you see a chance. Once you have gotten him, blow this." Mitra tossed a whistle at her which clambered to the floor. With shaky hands and fearful eyes, Belle watched as the Mitra ran out of their hiding spot before jumping over a couple of bricks. In mid air, Mitra's limbs elongated, golden scales shuddering to sight as her body widened, two powerful golden wings growing outvof her flanks. Stubby toenails withdrew, replaced by long iron like talons that glinted wickedly.
As if sensing her presence, the shadow turned but not fast enough to avoid the full on collision with Mitra. Both of them sprawled against the bricks, forming a ball as they wrestled with each other. The ground rumbled as cracks began to straighten down towards her, spreading far and wide. Belle took it as her chance, fishing the wooden whistle from the floor before bolting past the vase. A torrent of flames blasted past her, narrowly missing her as it caused the rubnle of wood burst into flames. Hot air fanned against her face even as smoke began to rush up to the ceiling.
Belle avoided an onslaught of bricks that crippled to the ground, another wall falling back before revealing a mass of clouds that stuck closely to it. The chilly wind encapsulated Belle's fingers even as she reached the cage. The door of the cage had been slammed shut after it clattered to the floor, lying on its side as it drifted back and forth. Belle noticed that the bars were wide enough for her to slip through. With that, she bent over, slipping between coarse metal bars that prickled her coat in different places, drawing threads.
She crept up to her father even as another shriek tore through the air. Her breath caught in her throat when she truly saw the state he was in. Biting on her quivering lips, she checked for a pulse and luckily he still had one.With adrenaline muting the mountainous pain that was sure to ricochet through her body any moment from now, she took her unconscious father by bruised wrists, pulling him as she walked backwards.
She brought him out of the cage after many attempts of pulling him through. Another torrent of flames lit the air ablaze. Belle coughed a couple of times, her lungs aching from the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere. Her vision blurred slightly by the smudge of black that tainted her vision. Belle blew the whistle. With that, Mitra reappeared out of the smoke, back in her human form with her gauntlet raised to the air.
A portal ripped open and a blinding light shredded through the darkness and smog. They both pulled her father into the portal before it closed, halting the other shadows. Belle fell to the floor, a sudden tiredness forcing her eyes closed. Through bleary eyes, she saw her father next to her. Then she slept.
The End.
Word Count: 5000
I want to thank God for giving me the Grace to write this. So, how was it?