Shade of Destiny (The Foreseeing) (56 page)

***

Taien, Irik and Arabella sat at the table, four candles the only light in the room. It was the same room in which Irik had spoken with Wynn only a week ago, yet everything was different. Before that meeting Irik had only suspected what was happening to Wynn, with no definitive proof. Sharing Wynn’s soul had confirmed his fears that she was infected. The only problem they had was finding the source and identity of the
thing
; it was not helped by the fact that Wynn herself had no idea what was happening to her. It made determining the best course of action hard, what to do when none knew exactly what was happening?

    
“Is it Aerona?” Arabella said, she leant forward, leaning her elbows on the table. In the candle light her beautiful face was tense and her brown eyes full of fear. Her concern was obvious, if it was Aerona how could they hope to save Wynn?

    
Irik rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “No, it is too subtle and all together unnecessary, why would Aerona keep Wynn alive when it is well documented that Wynn is the only one with enough power to see her fall? I doubt it is even her spies, I did not sense the metallic tang of Aerona... but I may be wrong, I cannot know for sure without fully inspecting Wynn, something which would alert the entity in her and we must avoid that at all costs.”

    
Taien took a deep breath, “You did not see her Irik, her expression. I – well it was not a moment I am likely to forget quickly. We need to do
something
.”

    
Irik looked at Taien intensely, “What do you suggest?”

    
“I do not know, but I cannot, I will not, let her suffer any longer. We can only glean her surface thoughts and emotions and all can vouch how different they are to the Wynn we saw only a few days ago. What is she feeling beneath the facade? She may be in pain.”

    
“Taien, we understand, but without a course of action we cannot act blindly. We forget how dangerous Wynn has the potential to be. Her malnourished state and innocence hide a raw power, the likes I have never seen before. I connected souls with Wynn a week ago, and I cannot explain the potential that lies at Wynn’s fingertips. There is no doubt in my mind she is the Foreseen... does it not show the extent of the being that controls her? It must be immensely powerful.”

    
Arabella withdrew her dagger and ran her finger along the blade. To anyone else the action was threatening but Irik and Taien both knew it was brought about by stress, the feel of a weapon in her hand calmed Arabella. Arabella wished she could use her dagger, claw this thing from Wynn, but she did not want to risk killing her or evoking the being to strike out in anger. Irik’s suggestion – wait to see if they can deduce any more about the being before they struck – was killing her. For days Arabella avoided Wynn, letting her try and defeat the thing by herself, did Wynn think they had abandoned her? It was literally like a knife in the heart to see Wynn so lost and what if Taien was right, she may be in agony.

    
“We do not know for certain if she suffers Arabella,” Irik said softly.

    
Arabella’s eyes snapped to his face and her grip on the dagger hardened. Irik’s eyes widened but he said nothing. The air was tense and Taien cleared his throat to ease the pressure of their worry.
    

    
“Wynn is infected with a – a darkness that twists her mind and her actions, we have all sensed it in some form or another but have had not the knowledge to stop it and help her. Yet I cannot condone doing nothing any longer, we cannot rely on Wynn to beat it, we forget for all her strength that she is new to the world of magic. She is beaten in this, but what should we do?”

    
In this they had no definitive answer. To press upon Wynn any action that the darkness inside her would deem a threat could cause Wynn to become hostile. They did not want to consider the damage Wynn could do now she was practised in combat and getting better at her magic. So if they did not force her that left persuasion, which would be just as fruitless. They were trapped with an unstable energy that none could make safe. Just as they could not decide what to do, they could not understand what had infected her. They had thought maybe in understanding the force it would help eliminate it, but they again had no solid ideas.

    
“I could try reasoning with her,” Arabella said softly.

    
“No, we do not know how coherent and in control Wynn is, can she think her own thoughts or she is just a body for the force? If it is the latter the force will see you as a threat and eliminate you and I know for all your skills and speed if Wynn attacked you...” Irik lowered his head at the thought, “you would not be able to harm her.”

    
Arabella swallowed, before she had loved Wynn defending herself and attacking those that wanted to hurt her was easy; but Arabella loved Wynn with all her heart and she could not look at her critically and harm her so she did not rise again. She could not do it. She glanced at Taien and knew the same of him. Of what she had witnessed of Taien, she knew very little. He had lied to Wynn and broken her trust, but the reason was valid and one Arabella would have made easily if she had been in Irik’s position, he was strong, she could tell from his muscled arms and body, even his stance was that of a man expecting attack, and noble. The look in his eyes as they spoke of Wynn told Arabella more than words ever could.

    
“I am the most neutral person of the Seminary,” Irik sighed, “if anything Wynn is still upset by the betrayals she had suffered here, I would be the bait. If she does not attack me then we can hope either Wynn is in more control than we thought, or the darkness has a greater plan for us all.”

    
It was not a plan that sat easily with them all, but one they consented to because they had no other option. Arabella and Taien excused themselves and Irik watched them leave sadly before resolving to visit Wynn later that day to gauge just how bad their situation was.

    
It was just after midday that Irik began to seek Wynn. He asked the first students he encountered and they told him she was in the courtyard again, challenging anyone who was brave or foolish enough to a fight. He had heard of the brutal attack on Graina and had no wish to see another of his students harmed that way. It seemed a few had tried already, and been left bloodied and bruised for they walked passed him, heading for a professor’s room so they could be healed. A frown crossed Irik’s face and he descended the stairs and made his way through the corridors to the courtyard. There was a thick ring of students and Wynn in the middle, arms crossed and face painted with a smirk. She was beautiful, Irik thought, he had always thought so, or she had been. Now she was cold and arrogant and he could not find someone as such beautiful. Yet she looked different to him, frailer. Her curly hair which brushed her shoulders was messy and pushed back from her face, her skin which had always been milky, her cheeks softly coloured like a rose, was now translucent. Her body, hidden beneath the uniform of the students was obviously thinner. Her ribs had already protruded, and limbs were basically just bones but now she looked visibly ill. Irik pushed his way through the students and stepped into the ring.

    
Wynn’s eyebrows rose at Irik but if she was surprised at his appearance she did not show it. She viewed him critically, his muscled arms and precise movements and the darkness knew this was an opponent worthy of a fight. Irik wondered if it was Wynn who stood before him or someone else entirely, using Wynn’s body. Her emotions were carefully controlled; she was bored at the whole situation, and even that felt odd. It was not Wynn before him; she was always so alive with feeling. He held his hands out, to show he was unarmed and stepped closer until they were facing each other.

    
“Wynn, what are you doing out here?”

    
She laughed coldly, “I am challenging any who wish it to a fight of course. Though none now are brave enough to try.”

    
“Why do you think that is? Did you not beat them and bloody them, as is illegal in such a fight? You know when we are practising we only use defensive techniques, not ones that could kill. It is only when, under the professors supervision, that weapons are introduced and the fighting becomes more intense – with the chance for actual harm.”

    
Wynn rolled her eyes at Irik’s words and her sneering face made Irik shiver. Wynn had never pulled such a face before, this was not her, he was sure of it, and something had to be done before everything was lost.

    
“I have a suggestion,” Wynn said softly, and the change in her voice caught his attention. He raised his eyebrows at her, bidding her to continue. She ran her hand through her hair, her face suddenly innocent.

    
“If you fight me, then I will not bother these children any longer.”

    
Irik’s face was noticeably shocked, and he wondered at how she had drawn him in, with her soft face and beautiful voice, she was more dangerous than he had anticipated, “I will not fight you Wynn, now please return to the castle. Everyone else inside now!”

    
The students grumbled but began to slowly make their way back to the castle, but Wynn had not moved an inch, her hand was on her hip and she looked suddenly dangerous. “I think you are scared Irik,” she whispered, so that he had to strain to hear.

 
   
“I am not afraid, I do not wish to fight with you, I do not need to explain myself. I have lessons to attend to and you could practise your magic, make use of your time.”

    
Irik said it so the students that surrounded them heard a degree of normality. They glanced at Wynn who laughed and quicker than Irik had known her hands could move she pulled a dagger from her belt and flung it in his direction. He just managed to sidestep out of the way, but it was close and he felt the air ripple as it past his nose and the dagger lodged itself in the wall behind him. He spun to look at Wynn, completely furious.

    
“What are you doing?”

    
Wynn stepped forward, enunciating each word, “Fight me.”

    
Irik turned on his heel but he had not gone far before the sound of something moving quickly through the air sounded behind him. He ducked and watched as another dagger flew over his head and clattered to the ground. The students stopped moving away and silently moved into the corner; none were going to leave now that Wynn had openly attacked a professor.

    
Wynn ignored the students; her only thought was how much she enjoyed playing with Irik. He was powerful she knew, and she was bored here at this Seminary, wishing away the days until the creature’s came, for the darkness had a plan and Wynn was central to it. She winked at Irik who was trying very unsuccessfully to hide how angry he was. He gritted his teeth and walked up to her and leant close to her face.

    
“You will not win,” he hissed. To the students it sounded as though he spoke of the fight, only Irik, and the darkness inside Wynn knew he spoke of it and its hold on Wynn. The darkness was angry, it raised Wynn’s arm to strike him but Irik was prepared, he parried the blow and aimed one at Wynn’s stomach. She jumped back and flipped herself forward, catching Irik in the face. He stumbled back, his right eye closed. He flung himself forward, his attacks fast and precise. Wynn parried them all and Irik knew with a certainty that the darkness was controlling her. Wynn had only just begun to learn combat; she would never have kept him at bay for so long. He aimed a kick at her temple, intending to knock her out, but she dodged him, grasped his leg and flung it back. He went flying backward and landed on the ground. She was upon him instantly, her hands around his throat.

    
It was not until then that Irik considered that Wynn might actually kill him. He grasped her and lifted her off easily, she was light for all her aggression, and threw her off him.

    
“Enough!” He cried, “Stop this foolishness now.”

    
Wynn wiped her mouth, winked again, pushed passed him, and walked into the castle, leaving a stunned silence behind her.

None bothered Wynn again for days. In those horror filled hours Wynn was conscious for the briefest of moments. The rest of her existence was filled with nothing. It was the most appalling torture, more effective than any pain. Wynn would do anything for a respite from the numbness, she screamed at the darkness, begged for relief, but the darkness revelled in Wynn’s misery. Her very being was anesthetised, in the moments the darkness took hold. To never know if she would resurface, gain control of her body – even for a few moments – was enough to send Wynn to the very edges of her sanity. In truth, in her secluded corner of her mind Wynn wondered whether she was coming undone.
    

    
Normal people did not hear voices, or find themselves locked in their own bodies. Maybe all of this was a dream; maybe she would wake up and find herself still recovering from her wound in Oprend Manor. At this present moment she could not decide whether that would be a better reality than the one she resided in now. Facing the Master every day, the threat of assault imminent, the chance of freedom alive in her heart, was that more desirable? Or this; finding herself trapped in her own mind, numb to the world, to her own body, unable to control what she did; the darkness belittling her and breaking her down? Neither option appealed, the only factor different in the two scenarios was magic. She could argue with herself that she had lost her mind in Oprend Manor, so it was hardly different than now, if she accepted everything that had happened, magic was the key.

    
Magic had empowered her and trapped her. She was vulnerable and yet exceptionally powerful, it was a dangerous line to walk. No wonder she had been left to survive alone, what would Arabella do if she was here? No, what would
Wynn
do? That was the more pertinent question and in that Wynn had no answer. It was better they left her alone; she was like a spring ready to uncoil, unpredictable. Wynn knew she was the only person able to end the darkness’ hold but its answer evaded her. For all her strength and destiny she was as innocent and naive as a child when it came to using her magic. Her many attempts just to locate the darkness had been a wasted effort, it snaked through her like smoke, just as translucent and weightless.

 
   
There was no definite location that the force took, it was constantly moving, controlling her limbs and suppressing her mind. Wynn supposed if she had more time she could find a pattern to the darkness, but she already knew it was too late. The large patches of memory were growing ever larger; it was as though her life was nothing more than a blur. She was terrified of the times she could not remember, what had happened? The darkness was careful to tell her very little, all she knew of what was occurring was that the Hybrid creatures would soon surround the Seminary and break through the ancient magic that protected them.

    
After that the force was vague, travelling and pain, two certain plans. Wynn would suffer, that was a given, the more Wynn pondered the darkness the more she was convinced Aerona was behind it. But why keep her alive? Unless it was not her life that Aerona was protecting, but her magic. Sometime during her imprisonment Wynn understood. If it truly was Aerona that had infected her then she was being trained to be a tool; a weapon against Aerona’s enemies. What better way to annihilate Wynn than to the set her against those Aerona too wished dead? She was the perfect tool, powerful and most importantly disposable.

    
The darkness did not comment on Wynn’s musing, which in itself was worrying. Usually it had something to say about Wynn’s confinement, a well placed insult to strip away any strength she had amassed, but in this it was silent. Wynn was of two minds about this, either she had guessed right and the darkness had no idea how to belittle her now Wynn had taken away the element of the unknown; or it was changing its plans so that Wynn had no power in her guessed knowledge.

    
Wynn had no choice but to continue to fight, praying that whilst she battled her friends too fought to help her. It was painfully obvious it would be a war and she the only warrior, but it did not mean that her friends could not offer their strength. Wynn hoped she had not alienated them, they must trust her enough to know the creatures were amassing for a final attack, they must be prepared; Wynn was not important compared to the Hybrids that would soon converge upon them but if they ever wanted to survive they would need her. She was a double edged weapon, useful but deadly.

    
So on the morning of the creature’s attack Wynn had no idea how long she had waited for it. Days were forgotten in the fog of her mind. The darkness ensured she was the first to hear the telltale beat of the creatures wings from outside the Seminary, because she was listening out for them so intently. Wynn closed her eyes and threw her senses out and found more than fifty circling the walls of the Seminary. They were spewing dark magic from their beaks, breaking the enchantments that protected the Seminary. So this was the plan, Wynn realised. The magic Aerona had infused the Hybrids with was strong enough to break the protection of the walls. Did Irik know this?

    
“
He does now
,” the darkness laughed cruelly.

    
Wynn, in the corner of her mind, felt anger course through her veins, but no amount of fury could force her from her confinement. This was the moment, the day the darkness had waited for. What would happen now? The slaughter of the students, professors and servants? The destruction of the Seminary? Wynn spat the questions at the darkness.

    
“
Maybe
,” the darkness laughed.

    
Wynn sat on her bed for a while, watching the commotion of the students. Using magic to widen her perception she saw the professors realise what was happening, they stood in their classes, in their rooms, turned their heads in corridors and calmly told whoever they were near, student or servant to follow them. At first the Seminary was calm and the three hundred or so people began to file out of the building single file, but when the walls shook as a Hybrid’s magic broke through a section of the protective magic, chaos reigned. Screams echoed around the corridor and the sound of hundreds of footsteps running made Wynn smile.

    
Slowly she stood and made her way down the corridors until she was near the front door. Most of the inhabitants had made it outside; with the Seminary coming down around them the only logical place to stay was the courtyard. Wynn walked towards the door, a grin across her face, when Taien appeared beside her, shouting orders. Students and professors continued to file past her. Taien grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him.

    
“You are staying here,” he said sternly.

    
“Take your hands off me,” Wynn said coldly, murder in her voice.

    
Taien scanned her face, noting the black circles under her eyes and her gaunt face, she looked deathly ill, “We will all die if you are killed today and cannot defeat Aerona,” Taien insisted, almost pleading.

    
Wynn laughed arrogantly, brushing his hand off her shoulder, “I will not die today,” she said. The darkness guaranteed Wynn’s survival this day, but Wynn knew when it was finished she would beg to die. There were things much worse than death and Wynn knew if Arabella was harmed she would never be able to cope. She would welcome death like a friend and sink into the darkness happily. Wynn walked away from Taien to stand with the other inhabitants of the Seminary in the courtyard. The servants had converged by their quarters and all looked terrified. None had ever seen the creatures before or had a reason to fear for the Seminary, not to mention the fact that none had the gift. The professors mentally conversed and together created a shield around the servants. Their faces calmed now they knew they were protected.

    
Above them the creatures circled the Seminary menacingly, howling cries of war. Wynn did not need to send her magic out to know that they were slowly but steadily winning against the enchantments which not only protected the walls and stopped evil from entering but also held the Seminary together. Inside Wynn battled harder than ever to call magic to her own hands but as it had been for days it was as though her body was not hers; every muscle twitched as though controlled by another, even her breathing was not in a regular rhythm. She closed her eyes and almost fell over in shock to see another set of eyes where the darkness of her eyelids should be. They were large and curved at each point, and the iris was indistinguishable from the sclera, or whites of the eye. Wynn instantly felt nauseous as the eye was not natural, it looked diseased and unearthly. It was the first time she had seen such a thing and she knew the darkness was growing more powerful.

    
The eyes blinked at Wynn and suddenly a voice erupted in her mind, causing Wynn to cover her ears instinctively, but the voice could not be silenced for it was inside her, inside her mind and it echoed painfully through her.

    
“
You are nothing but a vessel for the dagger
!” The voice shrieked into Wynn’s head, the voice of the darkness that had haunted her for months; it was cold and made her nauseous and she felt naked terror ripple through her.

    
“
The dagger
?” Wynn thought back, confused and shaking.

    
The darkness laughed, “
The moment you picked up the Dagger of Night in Procel’s torture chamber your magic was polluted; do you remember how it enveloped you, how you drowned under its might... how it burnt you? It was a test and you failed, you could not control it and now you will pay. Your heart was opened to the darkness; do you remember when you watched your magic how a blackness swirled within you? That was the Dagger of Night poisoning you, and you were too stupid to realise. Aerona’s magic will triumph, when her creatures attacked you they managed to wound you, through the wound Aerona’s magic crept and you are now too weak to fight it
. Can you not feel your limbs shaking with fatigue? Each breath an effort?
”

    
“
Who are you
?” Wynn whispered in her mind.

    
The dark voice laughed a piercing, eerie laugh, “
In the simplest of terms I am the remnants of magic in the Dagger of Night, when it was created the Mages and Magus were so powerful that some of the magic that was cast into the dagger was not put to use for there was already an abundance. When Aerona’s creatures attacked you, the magic they had been infused with, to give them life, intelligence and obedience was transferred into your body and combined with me. I was given a voice and the ability to carry out Aerona’s wishes
.”

    
Wynn’s mind reeled but before she could think anything, before she could utter a single noise she felt her body stiffen as the darkness began to morph inside her, slowly seeping down her body, through every muscle, every vein, reaching to the very corner of her fingers and mind. This time she was well and truly trapped, there would be no brief respites, no time to think coherently, she knew in the second before she was trapped that what happened now would be beyond her memory. She fell to the ground, the darkness gripping her so tightly she could not stand.

    
Taien stepped out of the door and into the courtyard at that moment and spotted Wynn on the ground, writhing and screaming in agony. The students and professors had all turned at the noise but none ventured toward her. Taien was not surprised and was glad they had kept their distance. He rushed over to her but try as he might he could not quite catch hold of her for she was thrashing so violently. After a struggle he managed to grab her arm but at that moment Wynn opened her eyes and the shock sent Taien sprawling. Her eyes were completely white, gone were the beautiful emerald of her irises and Taien felt his heart tug as he unconsciously mourned the loss. Wynn laughed a throaty laugh that shook Taien’s bones and she stood up and raised her hand to the creatures. One broke formation of the circle and landed in the grounds of the castle, as they still had not broken the protection and could not enter the thick curtain wall.

    
Wynn, with a wave of her hand destroyed the portcullis, splintering the metal. The students and professors all hid their faces as fragments of iron flew at them and sliced their skin. Wynn ignored their shocked cries and walked through the barbican, over the drawbridge and stopped before the Hybrid. It bowed to her, by bending its forelegs and lowering its head and then waited for instruction. Wynn smiled a smile that twisted her face and spoke to the creature, her voice echoing in the silence of the morning.

    
“Destroy it.”

    
The words were cold, and the voice that uttered them vindictive. In the courtyard everything broke out in confusion. All of the students and professors were crowded in the space, it was large enough to fit them all easily, but all still felt trapped. Those who had witnessed Wynn’s brutality in the recent days were not surprised to see her conversing with the creatures, they knew she was trouble. It was the professors who had been told implicitly by Irik when she first arrived how kind and trustworthy she was, who were shocked at the sight before them.