Glass and Ashes (Shadow Battles Legends Book 1) by Bard Constantine

Author:Bard Constantine [Constantine, Bard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy short story creatures young adult teen dark fairy tale myth legend fable
Publisher: BWB Publishing
Published: 2012-03-21T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5 –Muse

He lost track of the days. Time ceased to have a meaning as his recollections of sunshine and the sound of the wind became a thing unsure of, a dream that ghosted in the cemetery of his memories. Sometimes he thought of the life Beyond as his imagination, that his thoughts of the townspeople and the Man in Grey were what he conjured up to keep from succumbing to the listlessness that affected most of the other children.

In the end it was only his transformation that truly saved him.

He spend countless nights shivering as ice coated his marrow until it shattered, as fire raged across his flesh in a conflagration of agony. Yet he did not scream as the other children did; those who were inspected and snatched away by the Gigeron. Those who would in time return as Gigeron themselves.

For he found that he could do… things. The hammer lifted from the anvil at his thought, the flames in the forge raged brighter at his command. He learned a crude control by mastering the focus required to bind himself to his surroundings. He learned despite the torture and suffering, for he knew that in time he would use his newfound abilities to destroy his captors along with all the beautiful, graceful, malevolent Faelon who dwelled above.

Skye had crept away from her place and found him shuddering uncontrollably after a day at the forges, his body racked by spasms of ice and fire. She wrapped him in her arms as she did when he was soft and helpless. The pain gradually subsided until all he felt was the pressure of her protective form.

He knew then that something besides hate existed. What he felt for her was something far away from hatred, something that lapped against the walls of his heart like a calm, summer sea. He knew that somehow she made the darkness brighter even in the den of depression that he was resigned to dwell in.

A clattering noise startled him as he lay alone the next day. He squinted at the movement in the darkened corner of his cell. Almost imperceptible was a large, gray-colored lizard. Its long tail was wrapped around a dull object that clattered metallically against the stone. It blended so well with the drab surroundings that Talan had a hard time seeing it. But its swiveling eyes fixed upon him knowingly.

Talan sat up. Something about that gaze was familiar…

The lizard gave a start and skittered upward into the dark crevices. As the creature vanished, the heavy object it dragged dropped beside Talan’s head. He lifted the object in his palm, knowing already what he would find.

It was a key. A large, heavily rusted key…

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