The winds whipped violently near the top of the mountain. The air was moist and electric. Lexi thought she could taste the thick, bitter texture of magic on her tongue. The idea that the air was so full of magic that it lay on her taste buds unsettled her.
The group hiked single file up the path to the top of the mountain in near silence — her, Ariel, Valen and now, Darrin. She was concerned about the state of them.
Ever since they awakened from the second milestone, Valen had been uncharacteristically reckless. The once serious yet chivalrous man that Lexi had viewed as her rival, was suddenly acting out of character. She had tried to give him confidence and pull his warrior spirit that made her ever so jealous back into him, but she knew the Wildburn Prince needed time. On the other hand, Prince Darrin was worried sick over his family — rightly so — and though he kept his mouth shut, Lexi could feel his anxiety unraveling like a ball of yarn from the front of the line. And Ariel — however usually expressive — was disturbingly stoic, though his eyes gave way to his true, more somber feelings.
This was the group that would likely face the main Darkspirit's army with her at the top of the mountain. And considering the way each of their own spirits lay heavy within them, Lexi wasn't feeling confident that these young men could beat it in a fight — not now at least.
Still, as a leader, she had to trust her comrades. The Darkspirit likely had plenty of reinforcements surrounding it — protecting it. She needed their help if she was to finally put an end to the stain on her family legacy.
Then, something in the air changed.
With a rush of power, the magic in the air surged. It prickled their skin, energizing the air around them. She could feel its source deep within the cave, agitating and terrifying, like something lodged in her throat. She didn't know how to explain the feeling that thrummed through her body, but she knew it was related to the Darkspirits.
"What was that?" Ariel asked, but Lexi was already rushing forward.
"Lexi!" Ariel cried after her, but she was already on the move.
She didn't give it a second thought, her body moving on its own. She had just been condemning Valen for acting recklessly when she herself was now submitting to her own impulse. But she had to move. Something within her told her that she had to make it there soon. Lexi forced her aching, exhausted body forward with all the might she had left inside her. The ground was wet and the dirt and rocks on the path were loose, and her balance unsteady but Lexi ground her soles into it and kept on. Every time she felt like giving out, she just put one foot in front of the other like her life depended on it.
Soon, she breached the mouth of the cave. And in that moment, just as she took one final step forward, the world was washed in color. Everything went dark and Lexi could only describe it as a black-plum with slick oil-like reflective colors. The sudden change shocked her, like stepping into a new world. And with that shock, Lexi took a misstep, lost her footing and went tumbling face first down the cave's steep mouth.
She let out a yelp and thrust her arms out in front of her, smoothing her landing somewhat. It happened so fast, her mind could hardly process what had happened. Her ears rang, which meant she hit her head at some point during the fall. There was a throbbing pain in her ribs, arms and various places along her legs but overall, she felt okay.
Lexi's eyes flickered open, lifting her head. Wet, sandy cave-dirt clung to her face, and fell from her eyelids as she opened them. Slowly and painfully, she struggled to wipe it away with the back of her hand, rubbing it out of her eyes. She blinked rapidly, only retaining a blurry image.
Shadow and light contrasted heavily here, like the wick of a candle were the only source of light. There were various bodies that stood ominously among the darkness and four in the center. Two stood on a slight platform, one shorter and one taller and two sat crouched together in a sort of embrace in the center. She couldn't see their features, only the ominous silhouettes.
"Eugh…" Lexi groaned, her vision coming back into focus as she rubbed away the cave grime. "Who's there?"
She could hardly hear the sound of her own voice, let alone hear them if they responded. But mysterious silhouettes in a cave couldn't mean anything good.
Suddenly, the shorter figure in the back turned toward the wall, made a motion with her hand, placing it on the flat stone…
And the damn thing burst into flames.
The cavern came alight in hues of cerulean blaze, but it was more than that. The flame had a pattern to it. A pattern so intricate and detailed that Lexi couldn't commit it to memory. But what she could see now were the masks that three of them wore. A ram, a lion and a creature Lexi had never seen before.
The masked figure of the mysterious creature tossed the person they were holding aside, and when Lexi's vision came back into full view, her eyes widened with horror. She'd committed that color — that sapphire hue — to memory. But only one person in Carbouran other than Maren had such a color that burned from within.
Twelve.
The way the figure tossed her aside told her enough. Lexi sprung to her feet, her head pounding and disoriented. She pushed the figures aside that had been standing in the dark and fell to her knees beside Twelve. She drew her sword, but the mysterious figure backed away slowly, gazing down at her.
"Who are you!?" Lexi cried, her voice coming back to her ears, slowly.
The masked figure of the ram was gone, and Lexi caught the lion disappearing into the flames, stepping through the fire on the wall. The mystery-mask hovered in front of her for a moment, unmoving. As if this person thought Lexi wouldn't harm them. As if Lexi were unable to harm this person. Lexi looked down at Twelve, limp but her body was warm and seemingly unharmed — alive. And this masked person that stood there, haughty and confident.
It infuriated her.
Lexi lunged at them, her senses still dulled but sharpened by adrenaline. The masked figure parried the blow by stepping aside and using their cloak to divert her blade. Lexi used that force to drive the blade back in a vicious swipe, but the figure ducked, turned on their heel, and ran into the flame.
Lexi ran after them but the moment their foot vanished beyond the flames, the flames dissipated into nothing but flat stone. Not even ash or soot remained.
"COWARD!" Lexi screamed, pounding her fists against the wall as she fell to her knees.
She was frustrated and angry. She wanted to force them to tell her what they did to Twelve — to tell her who they were and why they were there. But it wasn't the time. A thought lit up in her mind, sending shockwaves of adrenaline through her.
That's right, she thought, swallowing hard. The figures in the dark.
Lexi turned quickly. She had been so consumed with the masked figures that she hadn't considered the motionless bodies in the room.
Infected.
They stood, eerie and unmoving, save for the occasional creepy twitching and random high pitched clicking. Lexi's gaze moved across each of them, their human eyes unfocused, but the spirit in each was undoubtedly focused on her. But they didn't move, let alone attack.
Like they recognized her — waiting for orders.
She sat there, her chest heaving, staring back at them. Lexi felt nauseated at the idea that such a creature would look to her for orders. She didn't like how they obeyed her without even a command. It was almost like trust and Lexi didn't want to give them human characteristics. She didn't want to think of them as something with feelings. And at the same time, she didn't know much about them, save what her father told her, and what the monster inside whispered to her. If she ran to Twelve, would they attack? If she showed too much weakness, would they go after her?
"Lexi!" Ariel's voice echoed, cutting through the silence.
Her head snapped upward, her eyes practically bulging from her head. The monsters reacted to the sound of his voice, sharp growls and hisses escaped them. They immediately surged toward the entrance, their footing awkward and unsteady.
Lexi didn't know what to do. The Darkspirit should have been in the cave instead of those masked figures. But if not there, then where was it hiding? And how would she know where it was to begin with?
"No…" Lexi's voice cracked. The monsters hesitated, wavering only for a moment. She didn't use the dead language to give the command. She inhaled deeply, reaching into her gut for the command. She felt the monster inside her take form, pressing its weight against her back. She felt the power of her Bloodline burn inside like a devilish fire. She reached for her power, she felt it — grasped it.
But for a moment, she hesitated.
"Siste!" Lexi yelled, her voice hoarse, yet powerful and guttural.
Not the command to die.
The command to stop.
Every infected stopped in their tracks, hovering in the moment between an attack.