Abandoned (Born From Shadows #2)

“Who are you?” Tatianna asked, her voice shaking.

“You stand here after I told you not to come, I told you to stay away,” the strange being told her. What is this thing? She wondered. The glow around the being dimmed so that she could see it clearer. It was just like the shadow of a person, a figure in the darkness.

“What?” she replied.

He muttered something in a language she had never heard before, or was it a she? Tatianna couldn’t tell by its voice that kept changing every word. “Turn around and leave this place. Only death lies ahead.”

Tatianna stared at the being. Her mind was scattering for any myth, anything that would tell her what it was. As far as she was aware the only creatures in this kingdom with any intelligence were the Goblins and the Elfir. How many creatures were here that they didn’t know of?

Something in its tone made her want to obey. Run away from her fears. Hide in the corner starving while watching others take what could’ve been hers. That wasn’t her anymore. She did not move a muscle.

“No.”

“You will destroy everything,” it replied.

“Maybe. But I will get my answers, I can’t fix the world when I don’t even know what I am.”

“When it is all over and you turn to your honest soul, you will find she has disappeared to black with everything else.”

“I have been abandoned, treated like dirt, a slave, a toy to be played with. I have done what others have told me and where did that get me? Why should I listen to a word you say?” she replied, her eyes like a stone wall.

“It seems I was too late. Do not call upon me or my family again, we will not answer for our cause is lost.”

“I don’t even know who you are,” she told it.

“You will,” it said then in a blinding light it disappeared leaving only the dark behind. She was deeply confused, unsure of what just happened. Had it just teleported? She could only imagine the amount of energy that would require, no creature could do that to themselves.

Tatianna was even more hesitant now. Asking herself why she was truly here. What goal did she wish to achieve? At first, all she could think about was finding more about herself. Then Nylif got captured now this? She could feel herself dealing with a situation far outside of her inner circumference. If she turned around now what would happen? All this would be for nothing. Her life would continue to feel like a stick floating through the water with no direction, no home, and no land to wash up on. She needed this. She pressed onward.

The back light wrapped around her body like a snake would wrap around its victims. Its coldness blanketed her from her surrounding, making her feel more alone than ever before. Now and then she could hear something scraping against the floor, an idea coming to her head. She couldn’t see, but what if she were to use her hearing to do so?

She thought of the risk, anything near her would be immediately alerted of her presence if they weren’t already. She didn’t care.

She screamed. Loud and clear. Then she listened. Listened as her voice vibrated through the abyss and echoed back to her ears. The echo was soft, distant and to her left. She followed the sound, whatever caused the echo, she could tell it was large. At least large enough to be a building…or hopefully an Elfir.

She prepared her magic, closing her eyes and feeling it run through her veins, sizzling as if her blood was being ignited in a fire of enthalpy.

“I can do this,” she whispered to herself. “Doubt gets you killed. Take a path, stick to it and keep going.”

Tatianna walked and walked, ignoring her surroundings, ignoring everything that lurched in the shadows. Until once again in the swirling mist, she saw a speck of light. It wasn’t bright and white like the other one was. Not this light was cold and blue, something about it brought her a sense of confidence. She tripped on elevated ground, stumbling to regain her balance. Then she continued forward till the blue light illuminated what appeared to be a cave. Tatianna walked into the cave,

then the walls began to shake,

then her steps stopped.

“This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but with a whimper.”