Children of Shadows: book 1 Chosen

Chapter 1



         Scypher had been told of the ritual as far back as his memory would allow him to go. He had read of it as a child and listened to the priestesses' chants concerning it year after year. He had never considered being a part of it though. Hearing about a life and death situation and being thrown into that scenario where very different indeed.

         Scypher woke up early, the light had not yet graced the surface with its presence yet. He was a shadow elf and being raised as such, he did not need the light to see. In fact, it would have been just as easy to make this short journey if he were blind. He had packed food, water and other necessities in a small pouch and headed out. Soon he came to another house, one he knew very well. Scypher scaled the small wall up to the window he had entered a hundred times before. Gently, he tapped on the glass. The window slowly slid up and a face was soon directly in front of his. Xensha, his childhood friend and secretly the love of his life. He crawled inside, shutting the window behind him.

         "What are you doing here this early," asked Xensha, still dreary from waking so early. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at her friend. She could see something bothered him and wondered how long it would take to get it our of him. "Scy, what is wrong?"

         "It's tonight, I want you to run away." Scypher looked at her with pleading eyes. "I can't live in this world without you and we both know there will only be one person walking away with their life tonight. Fifteen will start the ritual and Fourteen will be killed. Martyrs for our faith. Sacrificial beings so that one may lead our people into a chaotic and blood filled future." Scypher took a deep breath as he waited for an answer.

         "I will never run. You of all people should know that. Even if my pride allowed me to do so that dragon would hunt me down to the ends of the earth regardless if I were the chosen one or not. None of our people have survived the ritual unless the dragon put his blessing on them." She paused taking a look in Scypher's eyes. All she saw was terrible sorrow there. She noticed the goods he had brought her. He had really believed that he could talk her into running. Sweet...but ignorant.

         "Well if you won't run hear me out. I don't think this ritual makes sense. Sending in the best and brightest warriors, priests and wizards so that only one comes back alive seems stupid. Why would that benefit the Shadow Elves? Sounds more like something the Sky Elves or Torims would come up with. I think we should fight back, kill the dragon." Scypher finished his idea off with an imaginary thrusting of a sword.

         Xen looked at Scypher like he had two heads. "Do you really think we can kill a god? He chooses our leaders. The ritual has been a part of our society for five hundred years"

         Scypher cut her off, "and for five hundred years the Shadow Elves have not played a direct part in the matters of this world. Seritinum has never had a Shadow Elf as a king or even as nobility. We have barely kept our head above water as far as protecting our boarders from the Trolls, Bogs and Kanisians."

         "Scylvanna Pher'la, perhaps you should run as the dragon will not be choosing you obviously," Xen retorted harshly.

         "Don't use my full name I hate that," he said quietly. "Listen, I know it is crazy. You're a priestess, I know this dragon thing means more to you than it does to me. I just don't understand how the fact that there happens to be fifteen people from our village between the ages of twelve and sixteen make it ok to allow fourteen of us to die. You'd think the dragon would be smart enough to just choose without killing off the best of the best."

         "Well, if it makes you feel any better I don't think either of us will make it. We will die together."

         "What makes you think that?" Scypher looked at her expecting an answer, one he never received.

         The two of them hugged each other and parted ways. As Scy ran back to his home, his mind raced with the dangers the night held. Tonight, in a the matter of hours, the Shadow Elves would have their new leader as well as the blood of fourteen of their young. Sixteen was too young to be considering death. And Eight hours was not a long time to have left to live.



         "Thank you for joining us children. Your time has come for the chosen to be set apart. The rest of you will offer up your bodies to the service of the dragon. With your blood his life will be extended for another one hundred years so that another leader can be chosen." Scypher eyed the village priest as he spoke. What a joke. One priest and hundreds of priestesses. Didn't take much more than common sense to figure out that scenario. Scy listened as the man continued. "You will all have the opportunity to do battle with our immortal god tonight. You will be granted with the knowledge of his name, a name not even I know. In this name is power. Upon choosing himself a hero, the dragon will end the ceremony by mixing his blood with that of the one he has chosen for himself. Do any of you have any questions?"

         Scypher started to speak but Xen's look brought icy chills over him. Was she casting that frost spell over him again? He really hated the fact she could do that. He looked down the row of faces. Many friends with grimaces. Iretim, a female fire mage, was on the far end. They used to play together as toddlers. Yseraph, son of one of the greatest warriors in the village, looked as if he was about to shed tears down his face. Many looked scared. And the worst part of all this, Scypher knew why everyone except himself was here. They were amazing at what they did. The absolute best his village could offer. Scypher could use his two daggers quite well but nothing as noteworthy as what he saw around him. Why was he here?

         Without the faintest warning, the dragon, black scales glistening from the light of the fires around them, landed in front of them. And then, the dragon spoke, "children, thank you for offering yourselves to the good of your people. Tonight I will choose from the best the Shadow Elves have to give their new champion. The rest of you will supply the blood I need to live till the next ceremony. Only those of you chosen can hear me. If my name ever leaves you lips, you will die. This goes for the one who leaves here with their life tonight as well. I am Zerexis, the dragon of shadows. I am the last of the dragons as all my brethren have been killed. I carry within me the power of all dragon kind. Now, let us begin. Each of you will try to kill me, and I will kill all but one of you. Let us begin."

         And as soon as the last word left his foul mouth, the dragon went straight for Xaran, a warrior a year younger than Scy and Xen. In one pass, before Xaran could even left his sword, the dragon had flown by snatching Xaran's head neatly off his body. The blood that ejected out seemed to take seconds to notice the head was missing. Scypher was frozen with fear. He watched as the dragon too apart, literally, each one of his friends. And suddenly, the beast turned his head straight toward Scypher. Scypher moved as the beast rammed him, attempting to relieve Scypher of a limb or two. The small movement was just enough to miss the teeth and claws but the forehead of the dragon hit him square in the chest. Scypher flew back and hit a tree squarely with his back. Scypher inhaled, smelled the blood of his friends around him. He kept his eyes shut, perhaps the dragon would kill him quickly. Then, with his eyes shut, he heard a soft voice that seemed very close. It was Xen, and her prayer was almost finished. Instantly, Scypher could feel the healing in his back and legs. He felt his cuts close up. He looked up and saw that he was not the only one that noticed Xensha's powers. The dragon had switched his focus to her.

         Xensha cursed under her breath. What a fool she was. Why had she saved that lunatic. He had wanted her to run away. And yet, that is why she saved him. Why hadn't she told him she had always loved him. That she was afraid of tonight too. That the world would fall apart if he was taken out of it. She was the idiot. No time to dwell though. As she had cast the healing spell, the dragon had taken notice of her powers. She eyed the beast, "Come closer Dragon of the Shadows. I will show you that I have a merciless side to match my grace."

         Zerexis roared. "You are my favorite my dear. I wish I could leave such a woman as you alive. How I would love to hear of the stories of your greatness. But you are not the one I will mark this night. Knowing what that means child, will you give me your life? There is not reason to fight."

         "I give my life for the taking, I refuse to leave this life without a fight." Xensha could not believe the words that were leaving her mouth. Was Scypher right? This truly was crazy. She glanced around and saw all the bodies of he comrades around her. This was nothing more than entertainment to the dragon. Why was Scy always right. "So dragon, you choose Scypher? He is the only one left other than myself."

         The dragon looked at her with eyes of icy coldness. "I do not choose him, he chose me. Do not ponder on what I say, you will never be given the understanding of it. Let us end this little priestess, your greatest service to me is about to begin."

         Suddenly, something inside of Scypher came alive. A feeling like he had never had. His best friend, the love of his life was about to die. "Zerexis, kill me, for I have spoken your name out loud and as a consequence I forfeit my life." Scypher readied his daggers at his side. Not much good they would do but he would not die anything other than a warriors death.

         "Insolent fool. How dare you insult me like that. I told you to never use my name as it is an honor for me to tell it to you. Now you have doomed yourself and anyone who heard my name. As soon as I kill the priestess, I will deal with you. Your people are doomed, you will not have a champion this time. Your people will slip into the shadows of history just as your name implies. You all were never anything more than insignificant beings in this world anyway."

         Zerexis rushed Xensha. Scypher reacted. Not sure of what he was doing but allowing this new feeling to guide him, he disappeared as if his own shadow had eaten him. Scypher reappeared from the shadow behind Xensha that she cast from the flames of the fire.

         Xen was shocked, "What on earth did you just do?"

         "No idea. Hold on, hope this works." Scy grabbed her arm and they slipped into the nothingness. The two came back out of the shadows being cast by oak trees nearby. The dragon looked confused.

         "How have you gained my power without my blood young Shadow Elf? Now I cannot let you live most certainly." Zerexis took to the air. He flew up and dove straight at the Elven duo.

         Without thinking, Xensha Cast a light spell to the left of the dragon. The shadows from the trees in the forest suddenly laid on top of the dragon. Scypher saw the opening she had created and allowed this new power to take control again. Vanishing into his shadow, he reappeared on top of the dragons head. Quickly he grabbed a large black scale on the dragons neck and held on. The dragon pulled out of his dive attempting to throw Scypher off his back. Scypher pulled on the scale as hard as he could and plunged the dagger underneath it with the opposite hand. Black blood flowed out of the dragon like a fountain. Zerexis roared as his wings folded up and he rocketed towards the ground. Scypher braced himself for impact when suddenly, he found himself floating in a bubble of light. He looked down and smiled at his friend. Her face and clothes were drenched in sweat from the concentration it took to cast her spells and maintain them. She lowered him toward the ground and they walked over to the dying dragon.

         Zerexis cut his eyes at the two of them. "Children, you have done very well. Thank you for finally ending my cursed life. I have been under the spell of your enemies for many years now, but your blade has severed the bond the wizard and I had. My life draws to an end but this starts a brand new chapter in the heritage of your people. Gather my blood into two vials and travel to the mountain of Nevalis. This was once the home of the dragons, now nothing more than a graveyard of my kin. There you will find an altar. Poor out my blood upon that altar and you shall be granted with the power of the dragons. Perhaps then you can fight against your enemies. Your people will outcast you for killing me, they will never understand. Get the vials and flee. It is your only hope. I will protect you for as long as I can."

         Scypher and Xensha did as the dragon said. As they left him dying they looked back and were amazed by what they saw. Perhaps more by what they did not see. Zerexis was using the last of his life to maintain a spell of illusion in the area that looked like they were still fighting the dragon. The two elves slipped into the night, neither knowing were the mountain was the dragon spoke of. Neither knew where to go. Neither knew the dangers ahead of them. But they were getting to go together, which was a better ending to this night than was expected.