"Shadow Walker" by Jessica Lyn Thurber

Shadow Walker’s Light

            Sunlight slid through the thick trees warily, as if unwilling to violate this dark world below.  The still forest covered the land with an oppressive quiet, and the occasional bird that did call sounded harsh and unnatural, and quickly fell silent.  Long ago, some arrogant intruder attempted to cut a path, like a long bloody gash, through the forest, but it had fallen into disuse and the trees were gradually reclaiming what belonged to them.  The path was now rough and overgrown, healing into a fast vanishing scar.  Travelers did not come this way anymore.  Those brave or foolish enough to try unfailingly wandered off into the deepest parts of the forest and became one of the hidden things that darted among the primeval trees.

            However, at least one young man disregarded the tales of this place.  His booted feet tread determinedly along the uneven ground, and his long, confident strides carried him under the patches of wavery sunlight like a swift, thin shadow.  He dressed all forest black, and unless he moved suddenly, he vanished into the dimness.  His ragged dark hair hung over his eyes, depthless pits under a darkened veil.

            He carried no weapon, strange for someone who wandered in such dangerous parts.  His tightly controlled movements held back a vengeful purpose, and his direction was sure, as if he knew where he was going, or what he was seeking.  His mouth was set in a firm line and his hands clenched in tight fists at his side.  His skin, icy pale, stood out starkly against the dark that surrounded him.

            A sound, a faint rustle so slight it might have been imagined, halted him mid-stride, muscles taut and rigid, as if suddenly turned to stone.  His cold, flinty eyes scanned the foliage, detecting every twitch of every leaf, every crawling insect at his feet, and a patch of black up among the upper branches of a tree that leaped hastily out of his view.  He gave a humorless half smile and his stance relaxed slightly.

            “Your skills have grown less, Miyand,” he said.  His deep voice sounded amused, but oddly muffled in the closeness of the forest.  A shrill, inane giggle rang out from the branches above him.  The leaves shivered and a black thing dropped onto the path in a heap.  It shuddered upward to reveal a vaguely humanoid shape.

            Its long, twig like limbs gestured around its body randomly, like they had a life of their own, and its face bore no real features, just two almond shaped yellow slits for eyes.  It had hair of some kind, at least, there was a great shaggy bush around its head that resembled hair, but it was the same midnight black as the rest of the thing.  It fidgeted, unable to hold still, continually shifting, sliding, crouching and giggling.

            “Your skills have improved, Lien Shadow Walker,” its voice was high and piercing and it echoed ethereally.  It spoke as if it hovered on the edge of mocking laughter.

            “Don’t call me that,” Lien said, edging the words with a tense anger.

            “Whatever you say, Shadow Walker,” it replied, shrugging and snickering, crouching and standing again.

            “What have you done with her, Miyand?” he demanded, striding forward resolutely, intending to grab the thing.

            “With who?”  Miyand asked innocently, springing up to a low branch on a nearby tree and grabbing it.  It swung around the branch several times and flung itself off at a safer distance.

            “Don’t toy with me, beast.  Where is she?” He didn’t dare move forward again, not wanting it to get farther away.

            “I haven’t seen anyone here but you, Shadow Walker,” it shook its head and tucked its long arms behind its back.  It tumbled over and turned several somersaults in a circle, sniggering at him.

            “I’m warning you, you don’t have time to play games,” he raised one fist dangerously.  A tiny spark jumped from his skin and danced along his knuckles threateningly.  Miyand jumped up, but shrank away and its eyes widened in fear.

            It straightened suddenly, and its eyes narrowed, all hint of amusement or fear evaporated.  It crouched and sprung back into the trees.  Lien watched the boughs over his head rustle and shiver as it climbed above him, and dropped back to the path behind him.  He took a step back, watching Miyand carefully.  Without a word, it made a pulling gesture in the empty air and a rough woven net untangled from the branches and dumped an unconscious girl onto the rough path.

            Her chocolate brown hair, matted with dirt and dried blood, lay limply around her filthy, bruised face.  Her shredded clothing barely hung onto her thin frame, but Lien recognized her.

            “Tiya—” He rushed towards her, but with impossible speed, Miyand flipped through the air and landed in his path, between him and the girl.

            “Lien Shadow Walker,” it said flatly, bringing Lien up short.

            “Let me pass, shade beast,” he growled, recovering.  Miyand raised one black hand and pointed, and out of nowhere, a wall of invisible power slammed into Lien with stunning force, throwing him back violently.  He sprawled on the ground and tried to force back the dizzying waves of blackness that swept through his body.

            “If you want her, you will release the power in you, Shadow Walker.  You serve my Master, you just haven’t realized it yet.”  It laughed, a vastly different sound than before, wicked and malicious.  It shot into the air, flipping several times and landed in a crouch at his feet.  Without hesitating, Lien drove his heel into its face, and used the momentum to spin up to his feet.

            With a snarl, Miyand recoiled and lashed out, opening three crimson slashes on Lien’s leg with its deadly claws.  It pounced at him and brought him to the ground again.  It reached for his throat, claws extended, but he grabbed its wrist and forced its arm back.  The other set of claws came down on his arm, tearing clear through his shoulder.  He cried out and a pillar of white lightning tore from the wound, flinging Miyand into the air and away.  It thudded against a tree with a sound like rotten fruit on a stone wall, and slumped brokenly to the ground.  Lien didn’t move, gasping for breath, sure that Miyand was dead.  But it wasn’t finished yet.

            Somehow it pulled itself upright, digging its claws into the tree to support itself.  It giggled in between choking spasms and looked down at Lien’s prone form triumphantly.

            “You have the power, Lien Shadow Walker,” it gloated.  “We are on the same side.”  Lien forced himself to sit up and stared at his hands, his ashen face stricken, as blood began to run down his arm, staining his sleeve.

            “I am not the Shadow Walker,” he muttered to himself.  Unnoticed by either, the girl on the path was beginning to stir.  She moaned softly and her eyes fluttered open.

            “Lien?” she murmured groggily, pushing herself up on her elbows.

            “Tiya!”  His head jerked up.  Swiftly Miyand flung itself at her and snatched a handful of her tangled hair.  It jerked her head back violently and pressed its claws against her throat, making her whimper in startled pain.  Lien clambered to his feet, his eyes gone hard and flat, glaring at Miyand.

            “How much does she mean to you, Shadow Walker?”  Miyand mocked.

            “Let her go, Miyand.  You go too far,” he warned, eyes narrowed dangerously.  His shoulders were tense and his body was poised to attack at any moment.

            “She’s very pretty, isn’t she?  Rather dirty, though.”  Miyand drew a claw gently down the side of her face and under her chin.  “What would you do if I slit her throat?”  A trickle of blood threaded down her neck as it dug the claw in to her skin.  Lien started forward involuntarily. 

“What would you do, Shadow Walker?”

            “I would grind your worthless carcass into the dust and leave you here to rot in the shadow that you love so much.  Let her go.”  He threatened, promising a brutal vengeance with his every muscle.  Tiny sparks skipped between his fingers and up his arm.  Miyand watched them eagerly.  But with supreme effort, Lien brought himself under control and the sparks vanished.

            Suddenly enraged by Lien’s self control, Miyand snarled again and threw Tiya to the ground.  With a feral scream, it plunged its claws at her heart.

            “No!”  Lien cried desperately, thrusting out his hand.  A thick column of white fire shot out of the palm of his hand and slammed into Miyand’s chest, sending it flying down the path.

            “Lien!”  Tiya shouted, alarmed, but he wasn’t listening anymore.  Miyand was struggling back to its feet.

            “No.” he said again, more firmly.  He strode forward and deliberately released two more bolts of raw energy at the feebly moving creature.  It rolled several times and sprawled face down on the ground.

            Miyand chortled into the dirt, the sound gurgling horribly in its throat.  It lurched upright with a grotesque disjointed motion.  Its eyes glinted hungrily at Lien’s hands, enveloped in orbs of the white fire of a Shadow Walker.

            “When a new Sh-shadow Walker is revealed—” it faltered and stopped, sides heaving.  Its breathing rattled in its throat, dreadful and gravelly, its shoulders stooped over.  It coughed several times and spat dark blood onto the path.  It could barely stand.  “When a new Shadow Walker it revealed,” it tried again, more confidently, “a blood sacrifice is required.  The more innocent, the better!”  In a last frenzied effort, it leapt into the air screeching something in an unrecognizable unholy language, aiming for Tiya.

            A wordless defiant shout ripped from Lien’s throat and he flung both arms out in front of him, setting free a huge column of blinding white energy that screamed through the air.  It crashed through Miyand’s chest with a sickly tearing sound.  Miyand released an unearthly wail that sliced into Tiya’s ears like knives, but it faded quickly as Miyand fell.  It laid on the ground finally still, a shapeless puddle.

            All the strength left in Lien’s body flooded out and he slumped exhausted to his knees.  His face went completely colorless and his body trembled.

            Tiya pulled herself to her knees and crawled to his side.  She watched his uncomprehending despairing face for a moment before wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder.

            “I am the Shadow Walker,” he whispered, horror clinging to the edge of his words.

            “No,” Tiya said softly, lifting her head.  “You are Lien Kobess.  Miyand was wrong, you are not on the same side.  You will not be a slave to this power you wield.  You will control it.”

            “But I can’t—”

            “Hush.”  She put her hand over his mouth.  “You are stronger than the shadow.  You need not join the ranks of the dark servants.  You will overcome it.”

            He sighed unhopefully.  “Thank you, my Tiya.”

            “Lien.”  She held his face and made him look at her.  “This is not the end.  I will always hold your hand as you fight this darkness.”  She drew closer to him and he put his arms around her.

            “Thank you, my Tiya, my hope,” he said more sincerely.  He held her tighter and kissed the top of her head, drawing warmth from her closeness.  “My light.”