This is not my story! However it is on another fan fiction website (shur'tugal fan fiction). The reason that I have put it on is for both the enjoyment of you the readers.
This series is written by the incredible Blackdawn Mybook
And this world was created by the incredible imagination of Christopher Paloni
I won't go through all the mushy details of goodbye, but I will say that I had shown more emotion than I had my whole life: I had truly smiled my sadness.
Diane – of course – had been her usual, emotional wreck self and had gone to the extremes, crying and sobbing and other unattractive things like that. Before she had obviously been trying to be strong.
Well, that had gone.
But I hadn't stayed long. A hug goodbye (ew, I hate hugs) a few words of reassurance, and I had been out of that gray, dull, crumbling house that Diane had made my home. I had been grateful to her, of course, but her house was a mess…and small…and dirty. But nevertheless, it had been a home. Even if I didn't need one, it had still been welcome, as had Diane's presence.
Now, with my pack slung over my shoulders and my black clothes helping me go incognito, I was slipping quietly away from the ever darkening city. Lights were going out and dogs were quieting their barking to a minimum, while the creatures of night slowly came out of hiding to rule the darkness.
I was one of those creatures.
The pale, crescent moon in the clear sky shone down on me from above, the light making my already too white (ahem…totally not normal or human) skin glow an eerie color, sending beasts that would otherwise watch scrambling in the other direction. Jeez, could I get a break? So I had white skin? So what?
Ha, right. That's like saying, 'So I'm a Shade? So what?'
But whatever. I was alone, on my own, and totally capable. More than capable, actually. My senses, physical improvements, and other survival instincts would get me through this trek and much more than any mortal. It was almost cruel how defenseless they were.
Then, to put a total damper – no pun intended – on my day (night?) it started raining. Of course.
I looked up right as the first light drops came down gently, then harder, and then still harder. Soon it was pouring as I sloshed my way onward, never stopping and never sleeping. I didn't need to.
My clothes were soaked and heavy – not that I noticed – and my hair was still wavy as it hung down in a dark, damp mess of tangles. My pack was wet on the outside, but the contents within were not harmed (I had made sure of that with a simple…trick. That's what I used to call the use of 'magic' around Diane. Ha, ha). But I didn't mind the rain. In fact, it hid me from view quite nicely. The city of Belatona was at least a day's walk – okay, I walked pretty past…really, really fast – from where I was now, and so far no one was around. It looks like people don't travel that well in bad weather. Wimps.
I pushed the hair out of my eyes with an easy brush of my hand as I thought back to a simpler time. If you could say 'simple' was 'when I lived alone with no freaking one.' That life had been easier: No secrets, no problems. And I didn't get lonely at all, so, bonus.
I had lived alone for nearly all of my life, right up until I had been twelve. Those years had been easy enough for a born Shade, living in the cities and the wilderness and really anywhere I had wanted. I hadn't had to live by rules and I hadn't had to really try at everything. Magic came almost too easily, even the most difficult spells (but I'll admit, it had, near the very beginning, been a challenge) and physical exertion wasn't a problem. I didn't need sleep, I didn't need to eat but every two weeks, and water wasn't a necessity at all. Cold, heat, extreme weather…I just say bring it all on.
So it had actually been kind of exciting, these years alone. I had been growing in power and had been growing in age, wondering when I would finally cease to grow, when I would stop aging, as I knew I would someday soon. That much I was sure of (remember that freakish power of mine? Yeah…so I can be as sure as anybody).
And then I had met Diane in the city of Belatona. She had been sweet, scared, and totally freaked to see a Shade. I hadn't known what to do until I finally settled on a decision: Tell her what I was and that I had been born with it. This had shut her up pretty quickly, and she had felt sympathy towards me, taking me in. But it hadn't been easy. You see, I did (still do) have one rule about cities: Don't be seen. Stay under anyone's notice. Just keep quiet. So Diane had had to, for two years, abide by this rule. And the other rules, such as don't tell anyone about me, (except for Tolken, a friend of Diane's) don't freak when I have one of my 'information' episodes, (when I go all 'not-normal' and get weird and random flashes of information that has nothing to do with anything…until I figure out that it does) and don't invade my private bubble space (which she did proudly and almost every day).
Life with her had been nice, except the fact that I hadn't been able to tell her everything. Sure, she knew most of what my Flashes were about. And yeah, she knew I was a Shade. But she didn't know I knew magic or the Ancient Language. She probably didn't even know what that meant. And, well, she just didn't know that much about me in general. I didn't really want her to, anyway. We had talked, of course (I'm a sarcastic little girl…all the time, and no one gets respect from me) and I had made her laugh every day at something, and she had amused me right back, and it had been nice. But some things I just hadn't had it in me to ruin her state of mind.
She would always ask about my parents, and I would always say 'I don't know and I don't care'. Which was technically true, since I didn't care…about anything. (That's one of my weird traits…I don't care about anything, really. I can show emotion sometimes, but usually its sarcastic and creepy. ) But the truth is, I didn't have parents. I don't know how it had happened, but I had simply been…created. And gods dang me if I wasn't going to find out why.
I woke from my thoughts with an annoyed snort and looked back up at the sky, the rain now light and in a drizzle, and noticed the moon fading in the distance and dawn approaching. The road I was walking on had ruts and bumps filled with water, and I noticed a few people down the road walking my way.
I was about to turn into the woods – hell no I'm not talking to these people! – but it was too late. The 'leader' man of the group (seven people who looked rough and wild) was tall, around six foot five, and had a large, muscular build, no doubt because of the suckish war we were all now in. His dark hair and eyes locked on me, while the three women (two with black and the other with wheat hair) tensed, grabbing the obviously hidden knives within the folds of their skirts. The other three men (one blonde, one brown, and the other red headed) grabbed their weapons openly, their features tightening.
(Okay, here I will admit that they were at least a hundred yards away. And here I admit that I had really good vision. Better than any bird or predator or maybe even a dragon, in fact. So yay for that.)
I sighed in frustration and groaned. I so did not want to deal with this now…
Humans were so freaking annoying.
I stopped walking in my fast pace and tapped my foot with impatience as they got closer, getting tenser and tenser with every step, until they were only ten feet away. (What, not enough drama in our lives already? Jeesh.)
"You, Shade, what is your business here!" the 'leader' man had a rough voice that shook as he spoke, making my eyes roll.
"Whatever the heck I want my business to be. God, when did people get so rude?" I mocked, my face turning into a feral smile that looked just plain creepy on my face. I hoped it scared the crap out of him…he deserved it.
The women trembled slightly as the man recovered, "Today you die!"
I raised my sharp eyebrows, "Okay, hon, let's not make this dramatic. One, how many people have killed Shades? Right. And two, what a terrible line, 'Today you die!' I mean have mercy, if puns could kill…"
He lunged at me then, everything in slow motion for me. In that two seconds I processed his move, smiled again, hummed to myself, and then stepped to the right, allowing him to glide through air before falling to the ground. It was awesome and kind of boring. I never really had a good fight anymore…and I hadn't used my sword in so freaking long!
"Sorry to run, but I've got places to go, people to see, money to spend. And that just can't be kept waiting. Buh bye." I said cheerily, my fingers flicking toward all of them in general as a soft, grey mist swirled from out of my hands and wrapped around them. They looked scared for a moment, but when the mist was gone, they just looked confused.
"You never saw me, talked to me, or heard me." I said in a weird, quiet voice, watching them closely.
"I never saw you, talked to you, or heard you." They all repeated, looking dazed.
"Good." I nodded, walking past them quickly as I loped onward. The group behind me was just getting their senses back as I disappeared into the drizzle, now running at a steady pace so as to reach the Varden quicker. Time was of the essence.
"Well that was exciting." I mumbled to myself, my breath steady and not even labored. My legs pounded the ground with a rhythmic beat, lulling me into a state of mind that was much more peaceful. The trees blurred past me and the wind slapped at my face at the speed I was going (elves had nothing on me) but all of this was nothing but a caressing dream.
And in this dream I couldn't feel pain…I could do amazing things and help change or destroy the world…I had a brother that was just like me, created and loved by one…
And then I realized that it wasn't a dream.
I won't go through all the mushy details of goodbye, but I will say that I had shown more emotion than I had my whole life: I had truly smiled my sadness.
Diane – of course – had been her usual, emotional wreck self and had gone to the extremes, crying and sobbing and other unattractive things like that. Before she had obviously been trying to be strong.
Well, that had gone.
But I hadn't stayed long. A hug goodbye (ew, I hate hugs) a few words of reassurance, and I had been out of that gray, dull, crumbling house that Diane had made my home. I had been grateful to her, of course, but her house was a mess…and small…and dirty. But nevertheless, it had been a home. Even if I didn't need one, it had still been welcome, as had Diane's presence.
Now, with my pack slung over my shoulders and my black clothes helping me go incognito, I was slipping quietly away from the ever darkening city. Lights were going out and dogs were quieting their barking to a minimum, while the creatures of night slowly came out of hiding to rule the darkness.
I was one of those creatures.
The pale, crescent moon in the clear sky shone down on me from above, the light making my already too white (ahem…totally not normal or human) skin glow an eerie color, sending beasts that would otherwise watch scrambling in the other direction. Jeez, could I get a break? So I had white skin? So what?
Ha, right. That's like saying, 'So I'm a Shade? So what?'
But whatever. I was alone, on my own, and totally capable. More than capable, actually. My senses, physical improvements, and other survival instincts would get me through this trek and much more than any mortal. It was almost cruel how defenseless they were.
Then, to put a total damper – no pun intended – on my day (night?) it started raining. Of course.
I looked up right as the first light drops came down gently, then harder, and then still harder. Soon it was pouring as I sloshed my way onward, never stopping and never sleeping. I didn't need to.
My clothes were soaked and heavy – not that I noticed – and my hair was still wavy as it hung down in a dark, damp mess of tangles. My pack was wet on the outside, but the contents within were not harmed (I had made sure of that with a simple…trick. That's what I used to call the use of 'magic' around Diane. Ha, ha). But I didn't mind the rain. In fact, it hid me from view quite nicely. The city of Belatona was at least a day's walk – okay, I walked pretty past…really, really fast – from where I was now, and so far no one was around. It looks like people don't travel that well in bad weather. Wimps.
I pushed the hair out of my eyes with an easy brush of my hand as I thought back to a simpler time. If you could say 'simple' was 'when I lived alone with no freaking one.' That life had been easier: No secrets, no problems. And I didn't get lonely at all, so, bonus.
I had lived alone for nearly all of my life, right up until I had been twelve. Those years had been easy enough for a born Shade, living in the cities and the wilderness and really anywhere I had wanted. I hadn't had to live by rules and I hadn't had to really try at everything. Magic came almost too easily, even the most difficult spells (but I'll admit, it had, near the very beginning, been a challenge) and physical exertion wasn't a problem. I didn't need sleep, I didn't need to eat but every two weeks, and water wasn't a necessity at all. Cold, heat, extreme weather…I just say bring it all on.
So it had actually been kind of exciting, these years alone. I had been growing in power and had been growing in age, wondering when I would finally cease to grow, when I would stop aging, as I knew I would someday soon. That much I was sure of (remember that freakish power of mine? Yeah…so I can be as sure as anybody).
And then I had met Diane in the city of Belatona. She had been sweet, scared, and totally freaked to see a Shade. I hadn't known what to do until I finally settled on a decision: Tell her what I was and that I had been born with it. This had shut her up pretty quickly, and she had felt sympathy towards me, taking me in. But it hadn't been easy. You see, I did (still do) have one rule about cities: Don't be seen. Stay under anyone's notice. Just keep quiet. So Diane had had to, for two years, abide by this rule. And the other rules, such as don't tell anyone about me, (except for Tolken, a friend of Diane's) don't freak when I have one of my 'information' episodes, (when I go all 'not-normal' and get weird and random flashes of information that has nothing to do with anything…until I figure out that it does) and don't invade my private bubble space (which she did proudly and almost every day).
Life with her had been nice, except the fact that I hadn't been able to tell her everything. Sure, she knew most of what my Flashes were about. And yeah, she knew I was a Shade. But she didn't know I knew magic or the Ancient Language. She probably didn't even know what that meant. And, well, she just didn't know that much about me in general. I didn't really want her to, anyway. We had talked, of course (I'm a sarcastic little girl…all the time, and no one gets respect from me) and I had made her laugh every day at something, and she had amused me right back, and it had been nice. But some things I just hadn't had it in me to ruin her state of mind.
She would always ask about my parents, and I would always say 'I don't know and I don't care'. Which was technically true, since I didn't care…about anything. (That's one of my weird traits…I don't care about anything, really. I can show emotion sometimes, but usually its sarcastic and creepy. ) But the truth is, I didn't have parents. I don't know how it had happened, but I had simply been…created. And gods dang me if I wasn't going to find out why.
I woke from my thoughts with an annoyed snort and looked back up at the sky, the rain now light and in a drizzle, and noticed the moon fading in the distance and dawn approaching. The road I was walking on had ruts and bumps filled with water, and I noticed a few people down the road walking my way.
I was about to turn into the woods – hell no I'm not talking to these people! – but it was too late. The 'leader' man of the group (seven people who looked rough and wild) was tall, around six foot five, and had a large, muscular build, no doubt because of the suckish war we were all now in. His dark hair and eyes locked on me, while the three women (two with black and the other with wheat hair) tensed, grabbing the obviously hidden knives within the folds of their skirts. The other three men (one blonde, one brown, and the other red headed) grabbed their weapons openly, their features tightening.
(Okay, here I will admit that they were at least a hundred yards away. And here I admit that I had really good vision. Better than any bird or predator or maybe even a dragon, in fact. So yay for that.)
I sighed in frustration and groaned. I so did not want to deal with this now…
Humans were so freaking annoying.
I stopped walking in my fast pace and tapped my foot with impatience as they got closer, getting tenser and tenser with every step, until they were only ten feet away. (What, not enough drama in our lives already? Jeesh.)
"You, Shade, what is your business here!" the 'leader' man had a rough voice that shook as he spoke, making my eyes roll.
"Whatever the heck I want my business to be. God, when did people get so rude?" I mocked, my face turning into a feral smile that looked just plain creepy on my face. I hoped it scared the crap out of him…he deserved it.
The women trembled slightly as the man recovered, "Today you die!"
I raised my sharp eyebrows, "Okay, hon, let's not make this dramatic. One, how many people have killed Shades? Right. And two, what a terrible line, 'Today you die!' I mean have mercy, if puns could kill…"
He lunged at me then, everything in slow motion for me. In that two seconds I processed his move, smiled again, hummed to myself, and then stepped to the right, allowing him to glide through air before falling to the ground. It was awesome and kind of boring. I never really had a good fight anymore…and I hadn't used my sword in so freaking long!
"Sorry to run, but I've got places to go, people to see, money to spend. And that just can't be kept waiting. Buh bye." I said cheerily, my fingers flicking toward all of them in general as a soft, grey mist swirled from out of my hands and wrapped around them. They looked scared for a moment, but when the mist was gone, they just looked confused.
"You never saw me, talked to me, or heard me." I said in a weird, quiet voice, watching them closely.
"I never saw you, talked to you, or heard you." They all repeated, looking dazed.
"Good." I nodded, walking past them quickly as I loped onward. The group behind me was just getting their senses back as I disappeared into the drizzle, now running at a steady pace so as to reach the Varden quicker. Time was of the essence.
"Well that was exciting." I mumbled to myself, my breath steady and not even labored. My legs pounded the ground with a rhythmic beat, lulling me into a state of mind that was much more peaceful. The trees blurred past me and the wind slapped at my face at the speed I was going (elves had nothing on me) but all of this was nothing but a caressing dream.
And in this dream I couldn't feel pain…I could do amazing things and help change or destroy the world…I had a brother that was just like me, created and loved by one…
And then I realized that it wasn't a dream.
