The Whispers of the Fallen (5 page)

Then, as I turned my head to look at Demetre, Devin leaped up, took out his sword from his waist and ran toward the woods. Two of the Shadows followed him while one attacked Crystal.

“Come on. To the woods! Let’s go!” I exclaimed.

I did not look back as I ran. We escaped deep into the forest without the slightest clue of where we were going. The eerie silence of the forest spiked fear inside of me.

We ran as fast as our legs could carry us, leaping over fallen trees, navigating through the thick brush, and trampling anything in our path.

We came across a beautiful torrential river. The bottom of the river was visible even under the cloudy gray skies.

“We swim across,” I instructed, trying to measure the distance to the other side with my eyes.

“Across? Do you see how strong this river is? We’ll drown, Isaac,” Demetre insisted, trying to catch his breath.

Once again the growls echoed around.

“We don’t have time, Demetre.” I stepped inside the river; the water was up to my waist. Just as I started to take another step I felt something grab my leg and pull me down with a strong force.

“Isaac!” I heard Demetre’s muffled screams as I was dragged to the bottom of the river. I opened my eyes in the crystal water and I could see the same Shadow from minutes ago. Its eyes glistened under the water. Terrified, I tried to swim back to the surface, but it continued to drag me down. My adrenaline kicked in and I tried pulling myself from its grasp, but it was too strong.

From behind the Shadow I saw Devin approaching at an amazing speed. He drew his sword and violently pierced the creature in its head. Its body slowly vanished into ashes, which floated like a cloud up to the surface.

In haste, I made my way back to the surface, gasping for air. Devin leaped up from the water into a tree, while Demetre stood near the riverbank in shock.

“I told you it was a bad idea…why didn’t you listen?” Demetre said the moment he saw me coming out of the water.

“Isaac, the Council is not far from here. We must keep on running so we can cross over the borderline,” Devin yelled.

We ran as fast as we could. Devin went ahead of us, leaping from branch to branch and tree to tree. His agility was mesmerizing; my eyes were hardly able to keep up with him.

“Stop!”
Devin shouted.

“What is it?” Demetre asked in a loud voice.

Devin quickly descended from the tree and stood at our side. He looked frightened. He was so still that even his breathing was barely noticeable.

“There are more, many more coming our way from the clearing up ahead,” Devin said.

It did not take long for me to get a glimpse of them. Their numbers were probably in the hundreds, all walking in our direction. They came out from the trees, some leaped out from the rocks, others even from the ground. But ahead of them, there was one that appeared to be the leader. He wore a black cloak that extended all the way to the ground.

“You really thought you had gotten rid of me, didn’t you?” he said. I had not easily forgotten his voice. It was Cyro. My eyes widened. I looked at Devin.

“Why do you keep protecting them, Devin? What is your gain in all this? You know you were born from one of us. There is no redemption for you,” Cyro calmly spoke.

“You know there is always a choice, Cyro, even if I am damned regardless.”

The Shadows growled ferociously. They seemed to be waiting for the simple order to attack. Cyro slowly walked to us. He looked at Demetre and smiled.

“Pity to see one so young enduring so much pain.” He laid his hands over him. I was afraid Demetre was going to suffer again. I froze. I saw no action coming from Devin either.

“I hate to tell you, Devin, but sooner or later your nature will come out.” He smiled. “A wild beast can never be tamed.”

He walked back to where the Shadows were.

“I could just release my puppies over you three. It would be such a delight to see them devour and feast on your flesh.” He spoke the last words with such excitement and disturbance, it caused my breathing to falter.

“Consider this an act of mercy. You may go to wherever you are heading, but know this—we will find you again and take what belongs to us. I know there are people that you must see now. Farewell,” he said with a malefic grin.

Like the mist, they all disappeared right before our eyes. I was confused. Did we not have what they wanted? Weren’t they after Demetre and me?

“What just happened?” I asked Devin. There was no reply. “I take it you are as confused as I am?”

Devin nodded slowly. Judging by the expression on his face, I could tell he was trying to piece everything together.

“As Cyro spoke to me, I saw…I saw a blond girl. Her eyes were blue…she smiled at me,” Devin grumbled. I felt compelled to tell him about my dream earlier, but not right now. It could not have been the same girl, at least not in a dream.

“Did she say anything to you?” I asked.

Devin still seemed awestruck. “No, she never said a word. She only smiled. Interesting that…as I gazed at her, I felt as if every joyful moment I had ever experienced in my life was just about to vanish,” he replied.

“Who are they?” Demetre asked, looking ahead.

I looked up and saw four horsemen. They had red capes and were clothed in silver armor that, even without any direct light, shone brightly. I noticed they had brought an extra horse with them. As soon as Devin saw them, he walked in their direction. The four horsemen came down from their horses only a few feet away from us. As I watched from afar, it appeared as if Devin knew these men really well.

“Are you sure this Devin is trustworthy, Isaac?” Demetre asked me once again.

I sighed.

“What choice do we have, but to trust him?” I whispered.

Demetre grabbed my arm and dragged me away so we were out of hearing distance. He led me behind an old tree trunk.

“Isaac, he is one of them,” he whispered. “He is a Nephilin, a son of the Fallen. You heard Cyro—his kind is also against us, evil runs in his veins. Why would he be protecting us? He has the Diary with him right now and he has us—two boys who are completely dependent on him.”

“I guess you will have to trust me and I will have to trust myself,” I replied as I made my way back to where Devin and the four horsemen were.

“Isaac!” Devin shouted. “Come here. I’d like you to meet a couple of old friends.”

I took another look at those men. Their armor alone would frighten any ordinary human. As I got closer I could see them better. Their armor did not have a single scratch. I could easily see my own reflection on them.

“This is Dantes.” He pointed to the one in the middle. He had grayish hair, seemed to be in his mid-forties.

“This is Aleen.” He pointed to the one that stood to Dantes’ right. He looked younger; his flaming red hair glistened, his eyes greener than the greenest spring leaves.

“This one is Alestin.” He was blond, skin almost as pale as Devin’s. He was the one that stood on the far right.

“And this,” he pointed to the one that stood to my far left. “This is the chief and commander, Vladmir.”

“It is a pleasure,” Vladmir said. The others bowed their heads as soon as he was done speaking. Vladmir seemed to be a very experienced warrior. He had a scar that started right above his right eye and went all the way down to his chin.

“And who is this other young man?” Vladmir asked. I did not even notice that Demetre was standing a bit far behind me.

“Demetre Aliward, sir,” he replied.

“Well, you all seem like great young boys. The Council is ready to receive all of you. Come, the borderline is not far from here.” He spoke with softness in his voice, but the authority in his tone could not be masked. As soon as he took his first step, the other men followed.

“Oh! Where is your horse, Devin?” he asked with a grin on his face.

“We lost her when the Shadows attacked our carriage,” he replied.

“Not a problem. We have spare horses that we brought along.” He turned to Demetre. “Can you ride?” he asked.

Demetre nodded his head. “Of course I can.”

“Very well—you and Isaac will ride one and Devin will take the other. Now let us go. We must leave this forest.”

He climbed on his horse and led the way.

IV

Demetre and I rode in silence. Devin and the other riders were ahead of us, chatting. Demetre glanced over at me occasionally, checking to see how I was doing.

“We are here!” I heard Vladmir shout as he and the others brought their horses to a halt. A vast field of grass dressed with colorful fruit-laden trees appeared before us. I searched the landscape, dazzled by its splendid view.

We slowly rode to the clearing. A thick mist formed around us as the air grew moist and damp.

“What is going on?” Demetre asked. “Is this the Council?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I have been here before,” I responded, mesmerized at the sight.

The mist followed us as we walked. I stretched forth my hand, trying to touch the white cloud of vapor, but I couldn’t. The mist shrunk back, avoiding my grasp. As I pulled my hand toward me, the mist returned again. I curiously looked down, realizing the ground we treaded on had been hidden by the fog.

Slowly, the mist began to dissipate, losing its power; it then evaporated altogether revealing a majestic paradise. To my surprise, I was now standing before a gate which opened onto a luxurious garden under a canopy of bright blue skies. With every step, I could see strange and colorful creatures leisurely roaming the grounds. Some resembled ordinary rodents such as squirrels and raccoons, but their vivid colors captured my attention. The sweet smell of what seemed to be lilac permeated the air. Birds sang all around us in a concert of perfect harmony. It seemed as if they had rehearsed their peaceful melodies. Their bodies were covered with feathers that glistened in a prism of colors under the sun.

Ahead of me I saw a colossal castle surrounded by a river. The monument was breathtaking, unlike anything I had ever laid eyes on.

“You thought you had lost me, right?” Devin asked as he and the other horsemen approached me.

“Can’t really say what was going through my mind right now…” I fell short on words as I gazed at the azure blue sky. I closed my eyes and was immediately lost under the rays of the sun.

“What is this place, Devin?” Demetre asked.

“This is Justicia. It is not part of Elysium, even though the only way to get here is through one of the invisible gates. We just crossed over one of the borderlines into the Fourth Dimension.”

I raised an eyebrow with a concerned look. I believed he immediately got the message.

“This is the realm where the Creator lives. This place is located in the northern part of Tristar. The Creator, his kingdom and servants are located in the middle—the Heart of Tristar; a place forbidden to the living. The Heart of Tristar is secluded from all others. Only those who died with knowledge can enter there.”

I once again turned my attention to the castle and, gazing in awe, I marveled at this exquisite beauty. No creature in Elysium could’ve built something so majestic. White stones made up the walls, precisely placed throughout the three monumental towers. The middle tower stood higher than the others, with a golden lion statue mounted at the very top. There was a moat to be crossed before we reached its massive gates.

As we approached the moat, a man walked out to meet us. The closer he came, I was able to catch a better glimpse at his appearance. He wore a black tunic with a multicolor cloak over a beige linen shirt and a pair of black knee-high boots.

“Welcome to Justicia!” he said, greeting us with a cheerful voice.

“Vladmir, take your men now and go back to your posts. There is much to be done on this momentous day.”

Vladmir turned around; the other three men were at his heels.

“Devin.” The man approached Devin’s horse. Devin alighted from his horse and met the man with a hug. “It has been so long. Where have you been? You don’t come to visit,” the man said with a cheerful smile.

“Time has been my worst enemy lately,” Devin happily replied. The man turned his gaze to me. “Oh, these young ones must be Isaac Khan and Demetre Aliward. Am I right?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“Well, my name is Athalas—lord of the Council here in Justicia. Come down and give me a hug, young ones. Your parents are very dear to us all here.”