Then Everything went dark
written 2018, last edit 2020
Blake watched from a distance as the Dawn held the captain of the sun army captive in one of the many cages they had. Slowly she moved closer, making sure that she was out of sight but also making enough rustle in the leaves around her to catch the attention of the Dawn. Slowly, they all turned in her direction, weapons at ready, aiming straight towards her. Anyone else would have ran as fast as their legs could carry them, but not her, for she was the queen of darkness. She was the darkness, and nothing could be more frightening than that. She kept going until she was at the edge of the greenery, and there she took a moment to let the soldiers run, to save themselves. But it didn't work, as she predicted, although she had wished it had. When everything was silent, she sprang into action, putting out all the candles, so that the job of freeing the captive would be easier. Even though she didn't know much about the sun army, and their beliefs, she knew that they didn't know she was alive, or even existed. She walked up to the cage and held the lock tightly in her hand until it crumbled to mere ashes. The dawn soldiers were lost, jumping around the camp until one of them got a little too close for comfort. Blake decided that instead of making a scene, she was just going to develop a thick, fog-like trap surrounding their feet, stopping her enemy from moving any farther. She chuckled to herself, as she saw them all struggling. They didn't stand a chance, and Blake knew, as they were in her element, her darkness. Just when she was about to turn to open the door of the cage that held the captain, a faint light was born, in the shadows behind Blake. It was not a strong light, but it was enough to distract her and so the fog around soldiers feet disappeared. Within seconds the two were surrounded, the dawn could once again see their targets. Although many looked fairly confused, none dropped their weapons, or even made a sound. They were notorious for that, silent assassins, that struck at dawn. Blake looked over her shoulder to where the light was coming from and remembered something she had heard from when she was little. The light was called a glow stick, and it acts like a beacon to the rest of the sun army to come and rescue that person. Blake shot a look at the captain, frustrated that the same person she was trying to save, sabotaged her plan. She slowly raised her hand to the metal door of the cage and pulled it open. Every single one of her movements were followed by each and every single gun in the area. In one smooth movement Blake knocked the light out of the lady's hand and grabbed her. The look on her face was one of complete fear and confusion. Blake turned as she moved around the dawn and was once again running in the darkness. When Blake made it out of sight, she set the captain down but held onto her wrist and pulled, to keep her moving. Because of the beacon Blake knew that Oran would be on their tail soon, in all of his shining glory. They reached a small clearing in the woods, and stopped to catch their breath. The beacon that had been lit earlier would take Oran to the dawn, and then both of her problems would be solved. Although it was still fairly early in the morning, Blake was bathed in an expecting light, and she just caught the faint light of the glow-stick she had seen before. The women had lit another one while running and that had brought Oran and his army and his light to her, not the Dawn. Blake cursed under her breath as Oran the King of Light stepped down to the ground, accompanied by his closest advisers. Blake stood and turned, getting ready to start running again, but found she was surrounded. With her eyes still on the floor, she turned to face the well known royalty of Alanad. Anyone who was alive knew of him.
"And who might you be, girl?" Oran's voice was strong and demanding, as it was intimidating. He tilted his head just slightly to the right, but the troops around Blake began moving closer, as if they simply understood what seemed to be an subconscious movement. But of course, nothing Oran ever did was subconscious because everyone was always watching him and he knew. He liked it. As he stepped closer, she had to close her eyes because she had never been in so much light before and her eyes had not adjusted yet. Even in youth, she had always been cast to the shadows and pushed out of sight. No one liked her, and so she became friends with the darkness, for she was only ever in the darkness. It had become her shield, but also her sword. She had never needed anything else. She was not a stranger to being alone and without anyone to turn to, but she was also still a child, and not as rooted as an adult. So, her reaction was that one of any nervous child, as one might be before a test or presentation. She rubbed her thumb to the orb in her necklace, playing with the power she had in between her very own fingertips. It had been a gift from the animals of the forest, the only ones that knew of her, that was until now. She kept her eyes locked on her shoes, as her eyes had still not been able to grasp the amount of light around her.
"I will repeat this only once more, who are you, stranger?" As he usually kept a relaxed expression, his frustration with Blake's silence was getting to him. At last her eyes adjusted and she dropped her hand to her side and raised her chin high. Finally, she was able to see how many people were watching her. Before, she could only make out gold specks along the dark trees, but now she could see just how boastful Oran was. She knew that he never went anywhere without his army but this was crazy. Everyone was here, everyone was watching, even though he most likely only needed a group of 11 or 12 soldiers. But, as she began to take in the little details, she noticed that the women that she had saved and Oran seemed similar, almost as if they were family.
"Oh." Blake muttered, making the connections in her head. Oran had brought his entire army to rescue his sister. She smiled to herself, because she was proud of the realization. She chuckled, and caught the attention on the king.
"Pardon my interruption, but may I ask what it is you find humorous in this situation?" Oran's face was as bright as the newly rising sun. She turned to watch it's slow ascend into the sky, as she was in her own life. Before, she hid in the shadows, alone, and scared. Not of the darkness, or even the things hiding in it's shadows. She had been frightened of the people she would meet the moment she stepped into the light. But, here she was, standing in the light, in front of who was probably the most important person in all of Alanad, and she was smiling and laughing. Oran was bursting with anger and frustration, his sister was still paralyzed with fear, and everyone else was just really confused. And there she was laughing, not a lot, but enough so that everyone noticed. She looked back to Oran, and thought about the orb hanging around her neck. She didn't want to use it, because she didn't want Oran to know she had it, for then he would forever hunt her down, but on the other hand he probably already would do that. She was surrounded and the land on the other side of the orb was the only place that he would not be able to reach her. Earth, she thought it was a funny name, and imagined a planet called by that by its people. She lifted her eyes to his and raised her hand to the crook of her neck, her gentle fingers wrapped around the smooth stone and held it firmly. She never broke eye contact with the king, for she enjoyed watching his frustration. The very last thing she saw was a panicked king and dozens of blades crashing around her, but strangely she felt at peace, as if she had done this same thing thousands of times before. There was a bright flash and then everything went dark, just the way she liked it.
"And who might you be, girl?" Oran's voice was strong and demanding, as it was intimidating. He tilted his head just slightly to the right, but the troops around Blake began moving closer, as if they simply understood what seemed to be an subconscious movement. But of course, nothing Oran ever did was subconscious because everyone was always watching him and he knew. He liked it. As he stepped closer, she had to close her eyes because she had never been in so much light before and her eyes had not adjusted yet. Even in youth, she had always been cast to the shadows and pushed out of sight. No one liked her, and so she became friends with the darkness, for she was only ever in the darkness. It had become her shield, but also her sword. She had never needed anything else. She was not a stranger to being alone and without anyone to turn to, but she was also still a child, and not as rooted as an adult. So, her reaction was that one of any nervous child, as one might be before a test or presentation. She rubbed her thumb to the orb in her necklace, playing with the power she had in between her very own fingertips. It had been a gift from the animals of the forest, the only ones that knew of her, that was until now. She kept her eyes locked on her shoes, as her eyes had still not been able to grasp the amount of light around her.
"I will repeat this only once more, who are you, stranger?" As he usually kept a relaxed expression, his frustration with Blake's silence was getting to him. At last her eyes adjusted and she dropped her hand to her side and raised her chin high. Finally, she was able to see how many people were watching her. Before, she could only make out gold specks along the dark trees, but now she could see just how boastful Oran was. She knew that he never went anywhere without his army but this was crazy. Everyone was here, everyone was watching, even though he most likely only needed a group of 11 or 12 soldiers. But, as she began to take in the little details, she noticed that the women that she had saved and Oran seemed similar, almost as if they were family.
"Oh." Blake muttered, making the connections in her head. Oran had brought his entire army to rescue his sister. She smiled to herself, because she was proud of the realization. She chuckled, and caught the attention on the king.
"Pardon my interruption, but may I ask what it is you find humorous in this situation?" Oran's face was as bright as the newly rising sun. She turned to watch it's slow ascend into the sky, as she was in her own life. Before, she hid in the shadows, alone, and scared. Not of the darkness, or even the things hiding in it's shadows. She had been frightened of the people she would meet the moment she stepped into the light. But, here she was, standing in the light, in front of who was probably the most important person in all of Alanad, and she was smiling and laughing. Oran was bursting with anger and frustration, his sister was still paralyzed with fear, and everyone else was just really confused. And there she was laughing, not a lot, but enough so that everyone noticed. She looked back to Oran, and thought about the orb hanging around her neck. She didn't want to use it, because she didn't want Oran to know she had it, for then he would forever hunt her down, but on the other hand he probably already would do that. She was surrounded and the land on the other side of the orb was the only place that he would not be able to reach her. Earth, she thought it was a funny name, and imagined a planet called by that by its people. She lifted her eyes to his and raised her hand to the crook of her neck, her gentle fingers wrapped around the smooth stone and held it firmly. She never broke eye contact with the king, for she enjoyed watching his frustration. The very last thing she saw was a panicked king and dozens of blades crashing around her, but strangely she felt at peace, as if she had done this same thing thousands of times before. There was a bright flash and then everything went dark, just the way she liked it.