AN- I am so sorry that I haven't updated in,what feels like, forever.

I'm sorry to say but I've been quite distracted lately for several reasons. One, I had a bad case of writer's block for the longest time so I'm really sorry if this chapter isn't my best. Two, I had school to prepare for this state testing to see how good our school is yada yada, I also had a10 page report that I had to do as well (I'm not complaining, it was on Anicent Egyptian Mythology). And Three, after waiting for a long time I finally got Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for my Playstation 2 (awesome game if you ever get a chance to play). So, sorry once agian.

Also, I just thought you should know, that after this chapter there is one chapter left until Book 2. Don't worry, school's got a few weeks left so hopefully I'll be able to update more often!

Sorceress Cassandra180

P.S. Sorry the note'sso long, now on with the story

12

NIGHTMARISH OMENS

I OPENED MY EYES TO SEE A STRANGE SIGHT. I was in a forest of skeletal trees, all a pale white, casting shadows. The ground was covered in a slight fog and the sky was shades of purple, deep red and, orange. Almost like the sunset, except there was no sun in sight. The landscape was made even more dream like with the fog that covered the ground,

"Hello?" I called.

My voice echoed across the clearing.

At first no one replied, then…


"Akkadian," spoke a female voice as soft as a whisper.

I swung around.

"Who's there?" I asked.

My hand went to my sheathe, grasping my scimitar hilt.

"Really, Akkadian, is that necessary?" Asked the voice, amused at my actions.

"Show yourself!" I demanded.

"If you insist," Spoke a voice.

And suddenly, as if materialized from thin air, a figure in a long black cloak appeared, hood drawn. Unsure, I slightly pulled out my scimitar.

"You need not fear me, Mathayus," Spoke a voice that came from the person in the black cloak, taking a few steps closer to me.

"If I was to kill you, don't you think I would of done it already?"

I drew in my breath sharply, and took a few steps back. Those words, they seemed to slide across my mind, I could feel them, more than hear them.

"Who are you?" I asked, frankly.

The figure stopped. Two hands bedecked with sliver appeared from the folds of the cloak and went to the hood. In a slight ceremony, the figure pulled back their hood.

There before me stood a women. Her hair was as black as night, her skin had a golden tint, and her eyes where like dark glittering jewels. Through the gap in her cloak I could see that she wore a brassiere made of a silver material, with a skirt to match. Across her forehead was a headdress of sliver, in its center was a symbol, that reminded me of a shining star.

In the space between the opening of her long black cloak I could see a glittering silver halter, and a silver skirt and sandals.

Suddenly, I knew who this was.

"You," I said, remembering a tale I was told when I was a child. "I've heard of you. You're the sorceress that helped Urmhet years before I was born. He called you 'The Night Star'."

A smile crossed her elegant face.

"Nice to see Urmhet honored those who helped him. I remember him as well, he was unlike other kings in this land and ruled fairly and justly," Spoke the sorceress.

I looked down the ground.

And it's my fault he died, I thought to myself. A slight pain in my chest came after the thought. But it was true. The sorceress must of saw the look on my face since she looked to me, her eyes filled with understanding.

"I am truly sorry for you're loss. No wonder why you grieve for him, not many men can lead a country and not have the power turn them into tyrant"

I nodded, sighing.

"He was like a father to me," I spoke.

"And you're tribe and your cousins…"

I looked away and nodded. For awhile there was nothing but silence between us. Then the Night Star took a deep breath.

"Akkadian, I know that your quest is one that the fate of many may be on your shoulders," the sorceress said with a sigh. "But I'm here to tell you that-"

Suddenly the Night Star stopped. Her eyes darted to the shadows, as if she saw something.

"What is it?" I asked, curiously.

"Hush," the sorceress said suddenly.

Her dark eyes surveyed the shadows, expectantly, as if she was waiting for something.

Then there was an icy cold breeze that, like oil on a flame, fed the powerful sense of dread inside me. It was strange but the shadows seem to grow closer and closer to us.

"Oh no," The Night Star breathed.

I turned to her to see her, a hand to her mouth, her eye's filled with fear.

"What is it?" I asked, hand going to my scimitar hilt.

The sorceress turned to me.

"It's the dark gods the Magus has allied with," she said, her voice trembling. "They-they must of known that I came here to warn you-"

But before she could say more, a sound issued like wind, whistling through the bones of the dead. I looked around.

"Do you hear tha-?" I started as I turned to the sorceress.

She wasn't looking at me. She was staring, fearful, at one of the shadows. I glanced at it to see something that sent chills down my spine:

A pair of blood red glowing eyes where staring at me.

Quickly I whipped out my scimitar. As soon as I did a figure stepped from the shadows. It' s features where all in black. It almost looked as if it had once been human, but it's form was twisted and grotesque, with a chest that you could see the ribs, it's head bald, it's arms, legs and hands long. It's fingers tipped with claws.

Suddenly another appeared, then another, then another. We where almost surrounded.

Thinking quickly, I jumped forward and swung my scimitar at the midsection of the creature. If it where any other opponent that I had faced I would of cut them in two. But it was like I had cut through air. I sliced again. It had the same effect, and if it changed anything.

"Damn," I muttered as I realized what had happened.

I was just able to duck as the creature suddenly came, angrily slashing at me. Wisely, I backed up to where I was at the Sorceress' side.

"Well, I do hope you have a plan," I said with a slight edge in my voice as the creatures came edging closer.

"Actually I do…" The Night Star said, suddenly taking my left arm.

It was then more of those shadow creatures appeared, and crept even closer.

"RUN!"

I ran alongside the Sorceress, her black cape bellowed around her like a bird taking flight as she ran. We went down a pathway that led us through the forest of dead trees. Shadow phantoms appearing us almost every step we took.

Suddenly the pathway split in two. Forking both right and left.

I glanced to the pathway on the left. Beyond it, about fifty paces, I could see what looked like a rope bridge.

" Come on!" I urged, grabbing her arm and pulling her alongside me.

I could hear the whistling sound as those shadow phantoms crept closer.

We had to be about thirty paces away from the bridge when I heard a slight cry and the Night Star's arm slipped out of my grasp.

I swung around to see that, somehow, the Night Star had fallen and one of those Phantoms had crept dangerously close to her.

I ran to it, and stepped before it, blocking it's way to the Sorceress. I swung at it's shoulder. This was futile, but I had hoped to distract it long enough for the Sorceress to get to her feet.

Surely enough, my sword passed through it as if it was mere shadow.

Then, before I could dodge it. The creature swung around and with it's claws, slashed my arm. I felt a quick taste of stinging, searing pain. Glancing down, I could see three long slashes.

Slightly backing up, I watched as the creature raised it's clawed fingers.

Then, what looked like a ball of flaming white light came flying over my shoulder and hit the creature in the chest. Making it issue out a cry that make my blood shudder.

I swung around to see the Night Star, her head held regally high, another burning ball of white light in her hand.

"Quickly!" She called.

I ran to her as she threw the flaming ball she had in her hand, and, together, we ran on to the rope bridge. Her first, me second

The old wood gave creaks of protest as we ran across. The bridge was around one hundred paces down so we had a long run, with the shadow phantoms not far behind us.

"Akkadian!" The Sorceress cried, stopping so abruptly that I almost ran into her.

I looked over her shoulder (not hard to do since she was a head shorted then me), to see more of those Shadow demons. The creaks behind us told us that the ones behind us where not that far as well.

We where surrounded.

"Damn it," I muttered.

As the edged closer they stopped running and strode slowly. It was as if they knew that we had nowhere else to go, and where savoring our fear as the crept closer.

They had to have been less then twenty paces when the Sorceress suddenly turned to me. Her dark eyes set, determined.

"Go on with your quest, Mathayus," She spoke, her voice strong. "But be warned: The hidden cobra does not attack until it sees fit. In other words,not all is as it seems."

I looked to her surprised.

Was this the warning that she had been sent to tell me? I went to ask her what she meant when she put a hand on my brow and started chanting in a language unknown to me. Instantly the air felt as it did before a terrible storm, as if it where filled with an energy of it's own. There was a sudden breeze, that softly rocked the rope bridge.

To my surprise, the shadow creatures suddenly paused, as if confused. Unsure they took several steps back.

It was then the Night Star's chanting got louder, and louder until I could barely think.

The air seem to tremble, thick with a strange power. The soft breeze had become an angry wind, that whipped my hair around my bare shoulders. The small rope bridge swung this way and that way so violently that I was barely able to keep my balance.

The shadow creatures where backing away in horrorwhen it suddenly happened.

There was a whirl of color and a flash of light, then I plunged into darkness.

---

There was a sudden light and I jerked up to find myself in a sweat on some sort of bed. I swung around, to see I was in some sort of room in what looked like a tavern. Moonlight poured from the window, illuminating a small table with many contents on it, two chairs, and a bedside table next to the bed I slept in.

At first I was confused. The images of the Night Star fresh in my mind.

How did I get here?

It was then I remembered my conversation with Seti and the tavern that I had decided to stay in for the night. I also remembered my sudden fatigue and how I collapsed onto the bed.

Could that talk with the Sorceress have been a dream? I wasn't sure, sense it felt so real, but then again, so do most dreams.

I wiped away the sweat that was on my forehead, but I still could not get cooled off. So, I got up off the bed and went to the table. Grabbing my water skin I uncorked it and took a long drink.

That encounter had to be a dream, I decided as it sat the water skin back down. Why else would I awake in a tavern room unscathed?

I took another long sip, and glanced at my window. From the position of the moon I could tell it had to be around the mid of night.

I then, that it would be best if I went back to sleep, after all, it would not be long before daybreak.

I went back to the bed and went to lay down when I felt a sharp acute pain shoot up my arm.

What the-?

I then held my arm to the moon light to see what had caused me this sharp shock of pain.

And to my horror, three long bloody cuts greeted me, looking as if they had been made by claws…