Chapter 22
I gripped the reins tightly as Zorben, my alpora, tore through the sky. Wind whipped at my face, stinging my eyes, and making my hair fly wildly behind me.
Alporas were slightly larger than horses, and far faster, even on land.
I didn’t often use the alporas for flying; the Necro Shadows made them far too skittish to fly that high.
But Zorben was fearless, and the urgent missive from General Forsenn could not be ignored.
On foot, Zorben would have taken half a day to reach the lower towns.
I couldn’t wait that long.
With each beat of Zorben’s wings, his muscles flexed underneath my thighs. It was certainly not a comfortable ride. The skeletal beasts had hardly any fat surrounding their bones, which meant I felt every single movement acutely.
The moisture of the clouds tickled my arms, and I kept a careful eye on the Necro Shadows, which hovered close by.
Zorben flew lower, giving us more space from those deadly shadows.
The Lumen from my own shadow magic only extended as far as the Agnarr Castle.
I wasn’t powerful enough to stretch beyond that; otherwise, I would use it to protect the entire kingdom.
Zorben unleashed a screech that pierced the air, making my ears throb.
I gritted my teeth, tugging on the reins as we made our descent.
The alpora’s black wings were massive, large enough to span ten soldiers when fully flexed.
My own wings were powerful, but I could only glide with them, and using them significantly drained my magic.
I was also keen to ignore just how much the curse had claimed me already. It wasn’t long after my father’s wings appeared that he lost his life. Some na?ve part of me thought that if I used my wings as little as possible, I could slow the effects of the curse.
Foolish indeed.
Zorben arced lower, gliding between the trees and landing just east of a gravel path leading into the village.
His hooves hit the ground hard, the muscles of his four legs jostling me as he pumped furiously.
I jolted in the saddle and grunted from the impact, but Zorben continued at a gallop, shifting effortlessly from flying to running.
Shadows swirled around us, but Zorben recognized it as the Umbra Mist that protected us.
Even so, I shot a wary glance toward the sky, noting the darkened mist of the Necro Shadows that floated in the air like storm clouds.
They were thicker here, nearly blocking out the sun entirely.
And straight ahead, right where the village rested, was a massive plume of Necro Shadows, swirling like an intense funnel cloud.
With a shout, I jerked on Zorben’s reins, bringing him to an abrupt halt. My eyes traveled up the height of the shadow pillar, my heart seizing in my chest.
I had no idea the situation was this dire. I had certainly believed Forsenn when he’d told me the shadows had reached the village.
But this ? This was volatile and menacing. This was as if the shadows had developed a mind of their own, collecting together to form a unique entity that could swallow the court entirely.
“Mother of Shade help us,” I whispered as I stared at the raging tornado in horror. Zorben snorted, huffing in discomfort, his hooves digging into the gravel at his feet. I patted the side of his neck, my fingers meeting the thin black skin that barely covered the bones jutting out from his body.
“It’s all right,” I murmured to him. “You’re safe, old boy.
” I dug my heels into Zorben’s sides, urging him into a cautious trot.
I needed to get closer, but if I got too close, the shadows would poison me, or even burn me.
The old wound in my shoulder seemed to throb from the memory of the last time I’d gotten too close.
Alporas were immune to the toxins of the Necro Shadows, but Zorben was still wary of them. He likely hated the smell.
I couldn’t blame him. It smelled like rotten wood, ash, and death itself.
“Easy does it,” I urged. We drew close enough for the putrid odor of the poison to sting my nostrils. I wrapped my cloak around my nose and mouth to help block the smell, knowing some people were poisoned just by ingesting the shadows.
As we progressed farther down the road, the roar of the storm grew closer, the wind howling and the trees swaying as if a hurricane had settled right above the village.
I jerked Zorben to a stop, then slid off his back before tying the reins to a nearby tree. He nudged my arm with his snout, his dark eyes full of fear and concern.
“I’ll be right back,” I promised.
He huffed again as if he didn’t believe me.
With a grimace, I turned to face the shadow storm. From within the funnel cloud, lightning flashed, and I staggered backward in shock, my pulse skittering.
I had never seen anything like that before. Shadows, yes, but lightning? How could the magic from the curse produce such a violent storm?
This had never happened. Not in the centuries since the curse had been cast.
A shout echoed from behind me. I whirled to find a figure atop another alpora, racing toward me. As the figure drew nearer, I recognized him as General Forsenn. He, too, wore a cloth to cover his mouth and nose. He waved me over, arms gesturing wildly.
I nodded and untied Zorben’s reins, urging him back toward the captain. The beast moved without complaint, clearly eager to put as much distance between us and the storm as possible.
Forsenn dismounted, his face ashen. “You shouldn’t have come this close.”
“I had to see how bad it was.” My voice was grim as I glanced back at the storm. The tornado was shifting, widening in size as it consumed a cottage, tearing apart the logs as if they were straw.
“Your Highness, we need to know what to do to fight this,” Forsenn said, his brows drawing together. “We have never faced a force this strong before.”
I nodded. I was at a loss as well.
With a storm this great, it would only gain momentum, devouring everything in its path. How long before it reached Agnarr Castle? Was my Lumen enough to hold it off?
Somehow, I doubted it. Already, the magic of the curse was proving to be stronger than I ever could be.
“Bring as many civilians to the palace grounds as you can,” I told Forsenn. “We will provide shelter for them. And with the revel happening this week, hopefully they will be preoccupied.”
“Families are already making their way to the castle now,” Forsenn said. “But it is a temporary solution, Your Highness. Do you have a plan for how to bring down this monstrosity?” He gestured to the howling storm, which was drawing closer.
I climbed atop Zorben, who was inching backward, looking as if he might bolt at any moment. “When you’ve finished with the evacuation, meet me at the castle. My sorceress and I will discuss our options. We will figure something out, Forsenn. I won’t rest until we do. ”
He nodded, but his brow only creased further as he stared hard at the raging shadows. I followed his gaze, forcing myself to watch as the storm ripped apart a clock tower, the bell cracking and releasing a sharp, metallic sound that mingled with the screaming wind.
Forsenn urged his alpora into motion, and I finally tore my gaze away and followed suit. Together, we took off down the road, away from the Necro Shadows and the destroyed village.