Chapter 11
The sinister presence caused my entire body to stiffen with the urgency to take shelter, an instinct undoubtedly an innate part of my frog form to protect me from predators…yet my lingering human inclination nudged me to investigate, drawn by curiosity and a need to discover anything that might prove useful for Alden.
I closed my eyes in order to better focus all my senses on the sounds filling the forest. I carefully sorted through each layer—the rustling branches, the hoot of a nearby owl, the chirping music from the crickets, the rush of a nearby stream—in hopes of gathering a clue…until I sensed an unsettling silence that didn’t belong amongst the others, as if my powers had attuned me to something I normally wouldn’t be able to hear with either human or animal senses.
This strange, unnerving presence not only filled the night but seemed to entirely consume it…expanding to gradually dull the other senses until they scarcely remained. This presence curled itself around me, forcing me to open my eyes…only for me to see nothing. Gone were the details my vision was able to detect even beneath the starry night; I was met with pure darkness, as if something had smothered out all light until none remained.
Fear caused my heart to flare. I wanted to escape this sensation, but this presence had not only eclipsed all light but consumed my ability to move, paralyzing me. Darkness hovered over my senses, engulfing me in a blackness so thick I could almost feel its suffocating presence.
For an agonizingly long moment, panic reigned, but I forced myself to still my breathing just enough for a semblance of calm to return. As my head cleared, I began to analyze my surroundings as best I could with the ominous feeling choking the air. I’d never experienced a darkness such as this—it felt almost alive, possessing an energy that reached beyond my senses to touch my powers.
Before I could study this strange sensation, something suddenly brushed against my body—not the unsettling coldness but a gentle touch that was achingly familiar. My suppressed sight had made it impossible to navigate my way through this dark labyrinth, but it’d undoubtedly been even more difficult for Alden relying on his weaker human senses…yet he’d found me all the same. Warmth expanded from my heart at the thought he’d come looking for me, dissipating some of the sinister chill.
“How did you find me?” The strange magic surrounding us muffled my whisper so I was unsure whether Alden had been able to hear me. Though I couldn’t see the movement, I sensed him lean down, his hand hovering over me like a shield.
“I noticed you missing so followed your magic.”
He certainly went quite out of his way for a mere frog. The thought made me far happier than it should. “What is this?” I asked.
“Dark magic. We have to leave. Now.”
He carefully picked me up and cradled me close as he began inching his way backwards out of the woods to return to the clearing.
The thick, immersive darkness seemed to stretch forever around us, but eventually we emerged just enough to be able to see again—the halo of pines and the flicker of Alden’s fire glimmered faintly in the distance. He would be able to move more quickly now that he didn’t have to rely on his magical sight, which would allow us to create a portal and escape far away from this mysterious presence.
He suddenly stilled as the darkness shifted—not to reach its black fingers to curl around us and swallow us back up, but stirring purposefully, gradually forming not a thick cloud but an actual human shape. The limbs appeared first, allowing this being to stand, followed by a torso and eventually his head. Even with his features shadowed, we were somehow able to see a handsome man with flowing black hair, dark eyes, and a stoic countenance that possessed an emotionless air.
Alden’s breath caught in recognition as he gazed at the intruder. “King Ciaran.”
The shadow man’s brows rose. “That is correct.” His voice was rich and deep, even in his surprise. “I’m at a disadvantage, for though you know me, I don’t…ah.” His frown seemed resigned. “Everyone knows me.”
That wasn’t exactly true, considering my limited education hadn’t extended to familiarity with the monarchs ruling the surrounding kingdoms, but it seemed prudent not to voice my ignorance else I would reveal I was a frog with the ability to speak, not something I wanted to divulge to a sinister magical force.
Alden’s lips tickled the side of my head as he lifted me high enough to whisper. “He’s the reigning monarch in the Kingdom of Lumeria.”
Traveling merchants had brought back many tales about that particular kingdom—stories about how no one could enter or leave, along with its all-encompassing darkness that resulted in eternal night…though no one had ever witnessed it to be able to confirm its validity.
Perplexity furrowed Alden’s brow. “Your presence here suggests that the whispers about how no one can leave Lumiera are nothing more than rumors.”
The king shook his head. “Unfortunately they’re not rumors. My subjects are bound to our prison of darkness that’s impossible to escape, even as light cannot enter. In truth I’m not really here myself—this is an illusion created with my kingdom’s darkness, an element I’ve become familiar enough with to bend to my will.”
To demonstrate, he reached towards the sky, as if to borrow the darkness. He manipulated it to form a shape, playing with it between his fingers before allowing it to slip away. I’d never seen such magic…and by Alden’s bulging eyes, neither had he.
The king turned the force of his dark, almost soulless eyes onto Alden, his stoic expression seeming to await a response.
Alden swallowed. “Such magic undoubtedly requires excessive magical power and focus. Why would you go to such lengths—” Understanding settled over him like a burden weighing his shoulders. “You’re part of the magical competition.”
King Ciaran nodded once, seeming unsurprised by Alden’s conclusion. “Now that you’ve uncovered my purpose, I’m at even more of a disadvantage. I didn’t expect to encounter anyone within these woods, especially one whom I sense possesses power of their own. Who are you?”
Alden didn’t answer, but the king seemed unbothered even when his silence stretched on too long.
“You’re wise to keep your identity a secret. It’s something I’d do if I could, but such a luxury is impossible when I’m unable to mask the magic that allows my presence. It’s sufficient for me to know you’re also a part of this competition, and have likely come to these woods for the elemental challenge.”
Alden’s wide eyes took in the surrounding forest with an almost frantic air, as if searching for whatever had drawn this king here to fulfill the elemental challenge…giving me reason to suspect Alden’s presence at such an advantageous place was nothing more than a mere coincidence. I could almost feel his sense of inadequacy over this fact emanating from him in waves.
“I’m surprised a man of your position is participating in such a competition,” he managed after a strained silence.
King Ciaran eyes narrowed. “I cannot afford not to. Though I cannot earn a position on the council, I am desperate to qualify, which would give me access to valuable information my people need.” A shadow passed over his shrouded features. “My purpose is absolute, which means if you are part of this competition…we are temporary adversaries.” He spoke with a determination to succeed, no matter the cost.
Foreboding prickled my skin, and Alden gulped, taking an involuntary step backward.
The king seemed to have nothing further to say. He started to melt away in the surrounding darkness…only to pause with his features still half formed. Though the expression on his fading face remained emotionless, I sensed his deliberation, as if magic could decipher the thoughts we couldn’t hear, whispering clues to their contents across the spaces separating us.
His quiet sigh was just loud enough to punctuate the still air as he faced us. “Despite my having no interest in helping you, I feel it prudent to depart with a warning.”
Alden automatically stiffened. “What type of warning?”
“To be on your guard. There’s something amiss about this competition. I can’t explain it in words…only that this force not only exists but is relentless.”
I expected Alden to be alarmed by these words, but he only frowned. “I’m well versed in the silent communication of the magic surrounding us, yet I haven’t sensed anything of that nature.”
“Then you simply haven’t recognized it. Perhaps you’ve been too consumed by other thoughts to pay attention to more important matters.”
Alden tensed, the observation undoubtedly hitting too close to home. I’d witnessed firsthand how much his doubts plagued him, more powerful than even his determination to win.
“Thank you for the warning. I’ll be on my guard.”
The king gave a brief nod before the darkness forming his body simply melted away to become part of the surrounding night, as if he’d never been there at all.
Alden waited a moment to ensure the king was really gone before his tense posture drooped with a groan of defeat. “I have never seen such magic.” I was able to fill in the words he hadn’t spoken—such magic was well beyond anything he could do.
“If his powers result from the curse afflicting his kingdom, it’s not fair to compare your skills against his.”
Alden went quiet, likely not to consider my words but rather to bemoan his position against such a qualified competitor. I pondered the interaction, carefully combing every moment for any clues.
“For claiming to have come for a specific purpose, His Majesty left rather suddenly.”
“Which gives me reason to believe his sole purpose was to intimidate me.” By his deepening sense of defeat, such a tactic seemed to have worked. “He manipulated the darkness like putty. I can’t imagine what level of control he possesses over the other elements.”
Silence descended around us like the lingering shadows, extending long after we’d returned to camp where the spellbook awaited us with an aura of concern as it tilted itself in our direction. Alden ignored its frantic fluttering as he gently set me beside the fire whose warmth was nothing to the feel of his body when he’d cradled me against himself on our journey back.
He settled beside me and pulled his knees to his chest to stare gauntly into the flickering flames. My own attention was riveted to his face, trying to discern the emotions hidden beneath his stoic countenance, the only hint being the discouragement clouding his eyes.
Magic tingled in the blistering air as he reached towards the fire, and after considerable strain, the flames transformed from ruby orange to a violet whose bluish-tinted hue illuminated the velvety night, his attempt to manipulate an element like King Ciaran had so easily done.
My already bulbous eyes bulged even farther. Changing an element into a new state rather than merely manipulating it was a magic different than what he’d demonstrated for me while trying to get me to agree to be my apprentice, which just showed the extent of his abilities.
Even with such an impressive trick frustration furrowed his brow and he withdrew his hand with a defeated sigh. My urgency swelled as I witnessed his discouragement settle back around him, a fierce need to help him I couldn’t explain…even as I felt powerless against the onslaught of the darkness undoubtedly swarming his thoughts.
The only help I could think to render would be to interrupt his thoughts before they led him further down the discouraging path he seemed prone to walk. “What do you think of the king’s warning?”
“Hmm?” His gaze was faraway as he glanced in my direction. “It’s hard to know when so little is known about his character. We know little about the infamous ruler of Lumeria, considering it’s rare to encounter the king bound to his kingdom of eternal darkness where it’s whispered that not a single slant of light can penetrate. Some say he’s hundreds of years old, rendered immortal after the curse overtook his kingdom, while others say he is the one who robbed his kingdom of light.” He shrugged.
The man was shrouded in mystery, making it impossible to know whether or not we could trust him.
“There must be something he desperately needs if he’s expending so much magic to leave his kingdom of shadows,” Alden continued.
“Do you really think it’s to benefit his kingdom, or could he have a far more sinister purpose? Perhaps his warning was merely a guise for a threat.” Rather than freeing him from suspicion, perhaps his warning had merely been a means of masking his true intentions, a sardonic way to toy with those he meant to harm.
“There’s one way to find out.” Alden lifted his hand to test the air around us, murmuring a spell I couldn’t hear…but the magic did. I couldn’t see its response, but even with my limited experience I could feel its energy at work.
“I detect something…it’s strongest in that direction.” His gaze drifted away from the fire towards the dark clearing where we’d encountered the king.
“Does it have anything to do with the warning he alluded to?”
“I’m not sure. It could be something as simple as an obstacle or even a test for the competitors to overcome…or it could be something of a far more sinister nature. Magic is neither good nor bad on its own, but is influenced by whoever wields it.”
Though he said nothing more I sensed his uneasiness, emotions I became more attuned to the longer I remained in his presence.
“How well do you know the other competitors?” I asked.
“I’m at least somewhat familiar with many of them,” he said. “Having been raised in the study of magic, I’ve naturally crossed paths with other students from time to time. However I only know two of them well—my sister Demetria and my friend Kai. Neither of them told me they were joining the competition…but then, I didn’t tell anyone but Kai either.”
“Is there anyone—” I hesitated before continuing. “Do you think anyone you know could be involved with whatever is going on that King Ciaran mentioned?”
Alden considered a moment before shaking his head. “It’s possible. All of us have devoted our lives to the study of magic and this competition is the opportunity of a lifetime. It could be a great temptation to gain an advantage by casting a spell to hinder the others. In fact, Demetria did that very thing on more than one occasion in our studies. But without knowing what exactly is going on—if anything—I don’t have any true grounds for suspicion.”
He glanced again in the direction where we’d experienced the palpable darkness, but his expression seemed more frustrated than fearful.
“In truth I’m admittedly less bothered by an undetermined threat and more concerned with the fact that there’s apparently something in these woods to help me with my elemental magic that I missed.” He dipped his hand into the magical flame to extract a handful and used this light to venture back into the forest.
I followed him at a hop as he searched the area where we’d encountered King Ciaran, but the only sign of his presence was the memory of his words and a heavy sensation where he’d stood, as if the night was trying to recover from the king’s manipulation. Though my enhanced vision I was still accustoming myself to didn’t need to rely on Alden’s light, it was difficult to search when I didn’t quite know what I was looking for.
Night stretched on as we combed the surrounding foliage for nearly an hour. I hoped that we’d eventually be able to determine what we were looking for once we found it, drawn by magic even if we didn’t understand what it was.
Alden’s discouraged sigh drew my gaze from searching the undergrowth. “It’s impossible to find anything beneath this darkness, especially when I’m not sure what we’re searching for. I’m beginning to fear King Ciaran distracted us with a red herring.”
“It’ll be easier to find in the morning after a good night’s rest.”
My gentle reassurances did little to dispel his discouragement as he reluctantly nodded and made his way back to the fire to settle for the night, me close behind.
This riddle consuming my thoughts made it impossible to sleep, especially once I considered the possibility that the dark king hadn’t been seeking anything from the forest itself…but investigating Alden, whether he sought to know the power he possessed or wished to discern his position in the competition so he could thwart him.
A single encounter wasn’t enough to draw such a sinister conclusion; just because the king came from the kingdom of eternal night and could manipulate the darkness at will didn’t mean he himself possessed a dark nature.
Yet I couldn’t deny how suspicious it was for him to offer Alden a warning providing him with an advantage that would only make it more difficult for King Ciaran to achieve his own desperate ambitions, escalating my worry that his warning had been given with sinister purpose.
Until this moment I hadn’t given much thought to the skills of the other competitors…or their motives; all undoubtedly had a compelling reason for entering, and would do all within their power to achieve their ends.
The competition had just become more complicated. Not only would Alden have to compete against magical wielders of exceptional talent, but his struggle would be compounded as he also was forced to fight against his own self-doubts…which might prove a greater foe than even a king from a kingdom of eternal night, the potential threat he’d alluded to, and the skills of those fighting for such a prestigious award as a seat on the council.