White Heart: The Prophecy (The Blackened Souls Series Book 1) Page 4

Nerul raised his chin, his eyes glistening from the moonlight shining into the throne room. “I’ve been ready.”

  I slightly smiled, proud of Nerul for taking a stand against our father and becoming the new king of Shadowstone. I only wished that with him in power, things would’ve changed, but it seemed that after Seri’s death, his heart had somewhat hardened, making him no different from the last king.

  He didn’t even try to end the war between the Light and Dark Elves, and so the cycle of hatred and pointless bloodshed continued.

  ~White Heart~

  I walked at the end of my two-line squad while clutching the grip of my sword sheathed at my side. This being my first battle, I was nervous and somewhat afraid, but I knew that I was strong. I could even use a bit of magic to protect myself if I needed to.

  The only problem was that everything out here was dangerous and bigger than us. There were Ent’s, Giant Spiders, Orc’s, Werewolves, Vampire Elves, Dragons, and Dwarves. Surprisingly, even the Dwarves seemed bigger than us. Luckily, we had the Giants on our side, but unfortunately, on the front lines and far from where we were.

  Our squad was basically used to kill off Light Elves or any of their allies that lingered around the back ends of the fight. Nerul explained to me that I had to start joining the warrior squads in order to be the new representative of our royal family, as tradition. He and Seri had already experienced battle at my age, and it was time for me to do the same.

  I looked up at the blue sky and sighed. Zaos?

  “I am here, Princess. No need to worry.”

  I smiled, relieved that he was always around to protect me, just like Seri used to be. He was the one who gave Zaos to me after all.

  “What are you smiling about?” an elven boy, Othorion asked. I beat him in my last duel, which was how I wound up being sent out here. He was the best young warrior in our training squad until I defeated him.

  I shrugged. “Nothing.”

  Othorion frowned. He was older than me by two years and stood a few inches taller with short black hair, dark olive skin, and blue eyes. “You should keep your guard up, Princess. No telling what’s out here.”

  I swallowed and nodded. Even though I defeated him in a fight, he was much stronger than me on the battlefield. Especially since he started going into battle when the wars continued last year.

  “What should I expect?” I asked nervously. “Are the forest creatures easy to ki ―”

  “Princess!” Zaos yelled in my mind.

  I grimaced before looking up into the sky, then my eyes widened when I spotted a red dragon charging towards Zaos, who intercepted its fire attack with his own.

  From where I stood, I could feel the heat radiating from their battle and shielded my face with my arm.

  “What is a dragon doing all the way out here!?” Othorion yelled. He yanked me towards him, flinging me onto the ground when fire got passed Zaos and burned over the place I previously stood.

  When I heard elves from my squad screaming in agony, I looked up to find a few in flames and rolling over the ground. Some weren’t even moving.

  “Princess, you must get away!” I heard Zaos yell. “The dragon was aiming for you!”

  When I looked up again, Zaos had blown a gust of fire up at the dragon just as the dragon spit red flames from its mouth. Blue and red collided, creating a purple glow in the air.

  Othorion grabbed me by my arm and yanked me onto my feet. “You need to get away from here. We weren’t trained to slay drag―”

  I winced when blood spurt from Othorion’s lips onto my face. My mouth dropped as his eyes widened, and when I looked down, I noticed something black and sharp protruding from his chest.

  “Run…Princess,” he forced out.

  I didn’t find out what had stabbed him until his body dropped to the ground, and my heart sunk at the sight of it…

  A Giant Spider.

  It must’ve smelled the bodies. They only came out of hiding when people were either alone or dying.

  I was frozen as the black spider took a step towards me, snapping its large fangs, but when a sword sliced through one of its back legs, I snapped back to my senses.

  “Get out of here!” My squad leader yelled. “Retreat! Everyone!”

  Panting, I looked back up at Zaos one last time, then sprinted off into the shadows of the woods.

  Chapter Eight

  I ran as fast as I could into the forest, hoping that I wouldn’t run into any enemies or spiders. Tears built in the corners of my eyes and my heart pounded in my chest, making me run as fast as I could through the burning of my legs.

  I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, not that I was familiar with the forest, but I should’ve slowed down when I noticed that I was running into a gray area where there was no longer any sun.

  If only I weren’t so afraid, I would’ve realized that I was running into the part of the forest that everyone avoided.

  The Gray Forest.

  When I could no longer run, I slowed to a stop and leaned against a tree to catch my breath. I tried contacting Zaos through my mind, but there was no response. Nothing. I could only pray to the gods that he would be alright.

  Zaos was all that I had left of Seri. I couldn’t lose him too.

  I sniffled and wiped my eyes, then took a look around myself to find that the fog was thickening. It would’ve been smart to run back the way that I came since I wasn’t very far in, but then again, that’s where the dragon and spider was. That’s also the direction I heard the sound of something growling.

  I swallowed and whipped out my small sword. It may not have looked like much, but it was sharp and could do a lot of damage. Nerul had it made for me when he realized that I’d never be able to use the customary swords efficiently. He was too afraid to send me out here without being sure that I could fight at my best.

  When there was another growl, I stepped back and held out my sword with shaking hands. In response to my fear, a thin stream of black smoke like energy spiraled around my arms and all the way down to my blade where it then latched itself, covering my sword in black. It was one of the first things that Nerul had taught me, which was now like second nature.

  The power of a Dark Elf royal made our weapons more powerful and our bodies stronger, faster, and resilient. We could do more with our dark magic, but all I knew were the basics, and that’s exactly what I was going to use.

  I took in a deep breath and forced my shaking to stop as the growling beast had shown itself through the fog. It stood on all fours with wild black fur, blood covered fangs, and glowing red eyes that bore into mine with a hunger.

  A Warg, I thought.

  I knew that if this demonic wolf was here, then there had to be werewolves nearby, and I really didn’t want to have to face any of those. Since they took human form, they hated elves and felt that we should all be eradicated. Our wars had brought them and all humans nothing but misery, so to get back at us, they used their faithful demon wolves to slaughter any wandering elves that stepped foot into The Gray Forest.

  That meant that I was in even more danger than before.

  When three more Wargs appeared behind the first one, I took another step back. It was when they charged at me did I turn around and run deeper into the gray.

  I could hear the beasts barking and growling as they chased behind me, motivating my legs to run faster. My magic instantly shifted from my sword and slid back into my body where it then traveled down to my legs. I could feel the dark power of my stone wrap around my muscles, making my legs stronger and quicker.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the Wargs were only a few feet behind and began to panic. I may have gotten faster, but I wasn’t sure if it was enough to get away.

  Lifeless trees, fog, and gray flashed by as I forced my short legs to push harder. My body was beginning to grow tired, but my adrenaline and fear were what kept me going. I couldn’t let Nerul down by dying here. He was heartbroken enough.

  I wasn’t
sure how far I had run or how long I had been running, but it was clear to me that the Wargs would never stop coming until they had me. It felt as if I had been running forever when I noticed a different shade of light up ahead.

  A yellow shade.

  The Gray Forest may have stretched a long way, but it wasn’t very wide, so I was nearly on the other side. I just had to get there safely.

  Clenching my teeth, I pushed my legs to go as fast as they could, and to my surprise, they still had a little energy left in them. It wasn’t until I was just at the opening did a Warg jump at me from the left, but like second nature, my magic shot from my legs and back into my sword just as I wildly swung it outwards, slicing it across its belly.

  Before the Warg could even hit the ground, I bound for the exit of the woods and slowed to a jog under the light of the sun.

  I was still in a dangerous forest full of enemies, but at least I was no longer in the gray, nicknamed as The Forest of Death. I was surprised that all I came across were Wargs but was thankful as well. Other predators like Vampire Elves were known to hide in the gray, just waiting on someone to stumble inside.

  Slowing to a stop, I sucked in a deep breath of air and sheathed my sword, then doubled over to catch my breath while listening for enemies. When all I heard were birds chirping, I relaxed and stood upright, then straightened my shoulders.

  What do I do now?

  I tried to think of what Nerul would’ve done in my situation, but the thought of running head on into battle made my stomach turn. I didn’t think that I was ready for that just yet. It was just that I was alone and knew that going back through The Gray Forest was too dangerous, so what was I to do, and how was I going to get back to my squad?

  The image of Othorion standing in front of me with blood dripping from his chin had flashed behind my eyes, making my stomach tighten. I hadn’t even realized that todays serving of food was coming up until I doubled over and wasted it all over the ground.

  I used a tree to hold myself up as I stared into nothing with tears welling in my eyes. Othorion protected me, and then he died. For all I knew, my entire squad was dead, and even though I hadn’t gotten to know them all, the thought still tore at my chest. I knew that war involved death, but actually seeing it ―

  When I heard rustling in the trees above, my first thought was that Zaos had somehow made his way over to me. I hadn’t even sensed him, but because I wanted it to be him so badly, it was my first thought.

  And so, I looked up to see what was rustling in the trees.

  I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking at first, or maybe I was shocked that I found myself staring into a pair of bright golden eyes. The same kind of eyes that belonged to the enemy.

  Frozen, I found myself clutching onto the grip of my sword, but not actually pulling it out. I simply couldn’t as I stared into the piercing eyes of a Light Elf girl. She was dressed in nothing but a brown leather half-top, a long brown loincloth that hung down to her ankles, and leather boots that stretched up her shins. Protecting her shoulders were small golden shoulder plates, matching her golden wrist cuffs, and beads that wrapped around her forehead and into her chin length white hair.

  She looked beautiful, making it hard to believe that anyone with such an innocent face could ever be my enemy.

  But she is…isn’t she?

  The girl was crouched down on a branch with her head cocked to the side, and as I continued to watch her, I began to recognize that familiar expression.

  It was when she stood with an almost vacant look in her eyes and a spear in her hand did I realize that she hadn’t recognized me.

  My eyes widened when she jumped down from the branch and charged at me with her spear. I immediately blocked, surprised that my magic hadn’t surfaced to protect me, but then realized as I continued to block attacks that I didn’t want to hurt her. I was practically blocking my own magic.

  It’s her, isn’t it? I thought as I blocked another attack. The impact hurt my wrists and hands, but it still wasn’t enough to get me to fight back. I didn’t think that I’d win if I tried anyways. Takana was known to be an incredible fighter.

  “W―wait. Tak―” She thrust her spear at me again, but I knocked it out of the way with the blade of my sword.

  When I glanced down at her chest, I noticed the small white stone embedded in the center, telling me that she was a Telerie. She was either the Light Elf general’s daughter or a lookalike relative. I couldn’t tell by the way that she was fighting me. Her intentions seemed as if they were to kill, but she wasn’t using any of her magic.

  Dodging back, I barely avoided having my throat sliced open by her long golden spear and tripped over a tree root that caused me to fall onto my back. When I saw Takana charging at me, I went into a panic and fully intended on blocking her attack with my sword, but I wasn’t fast enough. Before I knew it, she was hovering over me with her spear aimed right for my heart.

  Chapter Nine

  I wasn’t sure at what point I closed my eyes, but when I opened them, I found myself staring at the blade of a spear. Takana stood calmly behind it with a vacant expression, but I could tell that by now, she had recognized something about me.

  Slowly, she tilted her head to the side and lowered her lids. “What is your name?”

  “Calen,” I quickly said. “We were...”

  Takana stared at me for a moment longer. “Calen. The Princess of the Shadowstone Kingdom and enemy of the Light Elves.”

  I swallowed. Was that all she really remembered about me?

  A slight smile came to Takana’s lips. “…She is also my dearest friend.”

  ~White Heart~

  That night, Takana and I stayed hidden deep in a cave that she had been using as a place to rest. It felt odd to be here with her at first, especially since she was hunting down men from my kingdom, but after a while of talking over a fire, it was just like old times, only there were no bars keeping us separated.

  I found myself never wanting this night to end, but I knew that I would have to face reality soon. Once we came up with a plan to get me back to my squad, I would have to live in my world, far far away from hers.

  Takana smiled softly at me from across the flickering fire, causing an odd fluttering sensation in the pit of my stomach. “So, do you still plan on helping her?”

  “Her?” I frowned in confusion as I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear.

  “The woman from the prophecy. The one that’s supposed to end the war.”

  My eyes widened, and I straightened. “Oh! Yeah, of course. I have to.” My cheeks warmed when I noticed how soft Takana’s gaze was. It was completely different from earlier when she thought that I was an enemy.

  “That’s good to hear. I’m glad.” Takana leaned back against the cave wall. “I’m happy that you didn’t change or forgot about me.”

  “Well, I have to stay the same. I must stop the war for my brother’s sake, and I could never forget you or our friendship. It may have taken a moment to recognize you with the clothes and the haircut, but…you were never forgotten.”

  “I haven’t forgotten you either. You’re just a bit taller than I remember. Before, you were kind of short. You still are, actually.”

  “What? We’re nearly the same height,” I chuckled.

  “Yeah, maybe sitting down,” she raised a brow. “But you have a long way to go, so there may be a chance that you’ll pass me up.”

  We chuckled together before growing quiet, and when I noticed that I was staring into her eyes, I looked away and locked my gaze on our weapons. They were on the ground right next to each other. It seemed odd for two enemy weapons to be beside one another, but at the same time, I liked the thought. I liked the thought of peace.

  When I noticed a small blue glowing butterfly lightly land on my sword, my eyebrows furrowed, but then I smiled as it flew over to me and landed on my knee.

  “That’s better,” Takana said.

  “Huh?” I turned back to her.


  “You used to always look so upset. I was glad that I had just enough energy to make you smile with my magic back then.”

  I didn’t know what to say, or maybe words weren’t needed from me.

  “It was the least that I could do after everything that you had done for me. I want to thank you again, Calen. I would have never gotten to see my younger brother again if it weren’t for you.”

  “Younger brother?”

  Takana’s lids lowered. “Yes. He was sick when I was captured, but because of you, I got home just in time to say goodbye.”

  I swallowed and lowered my head, the thought of my own deceased brother saddening me. I wished that I had the chance to say goodbye.

  “I lost a brother too,” I mumbled.

  “I know,” Takana said softly. “His name was Seri, wasn’t it?”

  I raised my head. “Yeah, but how…” Right, she fights on the front lines.

  “He was an incredible warrior.”

  “Yeah, but I guess not that great.” I bit my lower lip. “He died.”

  “Well, maybe having friends on the battlefield can be distracting. He died protecting them.” Takana’s eyes softened. “So, like I said. He was an incredible warrior.”

  ~White Heart~

  I lay next to a pile of ashes while watching multiple blue and purple butterflies flutter through the cave. While some were flying in one direction, many were flying in the other or swirling around in groups. Some were even clinging to the walls and ceiling of the cave.

  Takana was lying on the other side of the ashes with a slight smile on her face, making me wonder what she looked like when she really smiled. I bet it was pretty like the magic she created.

  If only everyone could see this…

  I was sure that if the Dark Elves could see just how lovely Light Elf magic was, then they wouldn’t want to fight anymore. Cold blooded killers couldn’t possibly create something so breathtaking. If we could just settle our differences, then elves would finally stop killing each other and be at peace. We wouldn’t have to watch our comrades die any more…