Isle of Beasts and Shadows (The Forgotten Isle Saga #1)

Chapter 18

“Why save me? Again?” Sirius asked the blonde, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and gratitude.

She simply stared at him, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions—concern, relief, and a hint of fear. Her legs shook underneath her as she let out a weary sigh, her breath forming a small cloud in the chilly air, before she leaned against the rough bark of a nearby tree.

Then, as if out of a nightmare, she gasped as a hand landed on her shoulder, its touch sending a shiver down her spine.

The owner of the hand let out a chaotic, unsettling laugh as he pulled himself forward to reveal his face—Jonathan, but his once familiar features were twisted into a sinister mask. His eyes, once warm and kind, now glowed with a pale, otherworldly light, sending a chill through the air.

“Father.” Sirius muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he recognized the malevolent presence that had haunted his nightmares for years.

The shadow that had taken residence in Jonathan seemed to revel in the fear that emanated from both Sirius and the blonde girl. With an eerie calmness, the shadow spoke through Jonathan, taunting Sirius about the girl’s seemingly fragile appearance, in contrast to the looming threat she unknowingly faced.

“This is the girl?” The shadow’s voice resonated with a hint of amusement. “She’s too small to be defeating someone like you in battle, Sirius.” The shadow chuckled softly, the sound weaving through the manipulated redhead’s form as he scrutinized Airella with an unsettling posture.

Airella, a mix of defiance and apprehension in her stance, locked eyes with Jonathan’s possessed gaze, her determination unwavering. The atmosphere crackled with tension, each passing moment lingering as they confronted each other, ensnared in a perilous interplay of destiny and choice.

“Jonathan?” Airella’s voice trembled with confusion as she searched Jonathan’s eyes for recognition, but found none.

Father, with an enigmatic tilt of his head, flashed a crazed smile that sent shivers down Airella’s spine.

“No, this is Father,” Sirius declared with an air of mystery. “Well, he’s not my biological father, and that’s not his name. His real name is—” Jonathan silenced any further revelation by gently pressing his finger against the reaper’s lips, abruptly halting Sirius’s words.

“No, no, you must tell no one my little secret.” Father chided with a mixture of amusement and warning, giving Sirius an affectionate pat on the head. Despite the playful scolding, there was a hint of malice in his eyes that hinted at deeper secrets yet to be revealed.

“I suggest you exit my friend’s body,” Sirius responded nonchalantly, his voice carrying a peculiar mix of authority and nonchalance.

Father then shifted over to Airella, his steps deliberate yet unhurried. As he placed a hand on her head, a surge of energy seemed to pass between them, causing a shiver to run down Airella’s spine. She fidgeted at his touch, her mind racing with a myriad of questions and doubts. Despite her confusion, a strong intuition told her he probably was not the friendliest person here. The surrounding air crackled with tension, hinting at an impending clash of wills.

“Not her,” Sirius stated in a tone that differed from the rest of his small conversation with this ‘Father’ person. At his words, Airella took an immediate step backward, accidentally bumping into the tree she had been leaning on just minutes before.

“Hmph,” the voice came from Jonathan’s body as they watched him turn back to Sirius. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve had any contact with humans. So many years.” He let out another somewhat psychotic laugh.

Confusion flowed through Airella. He seemed like a friend of Sirius’s, but something about their dynamic felt off.

She watched with wide eyes as a black essence escaped from Jonathan’s mouth, swirling and forming into a humanoid figure. It almost resembled a shadow, but with a strange three-dimensional quality that sent shivers down her spine.

Jonathan’s body collapsed as soon as he returned to himself, and Airella caught his upper body before he hit the ground. She landed on her knees, cradling Jonathan’s head gently in her lap.

“Jonathan? Jonathan?” Her voice echoed softly as she gently shook him by the shoulders, a mix of concern and fear clear in her tone.

“Oh, he’ll be fine.” A faint smirk played on Father’s shadowy lips as he observed, his presence casting an eerie aura.

She shot a wary glance at the figure, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. Her fingers reached for Dawnbreaker, only to realize it wasn’t there. She realized she must have dropped it when they were ambushed. She then glanced back to see that Father appeared to morph into nothing more than a swirling black fog, sending a shiver down her spine.

“It’s no use, anyway... He’s a shadow,” she murmured in frustration, quietly talking herself out of a reckless situation. A sense of helplessness crept into her.

Her attention drifted towards Sirius and the ominous Father, engrossed in a discussion that seemed to bode ill for the humans caught amid their plans. The air grew heavy with uncertainty as she silently prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.

Jonathan took a quick gasp of air seconds later, quickly capturing everyone’s attention. His heart raced as he frantically shot up straight, his eyes darting in every direction, searching for any sign of familiarity.

“Where am I?” he uttered in a mixture of confusion and urgency. “Where are the others?”

“I’m not sure,” Airella responded hesitantly, her gaze shifting around the dimly lit space, only to realize that the dark figure known as Father was no longer in their presence.

Sirius remained silent, his expression unreadable as he observed Jonathan’s every move.

Airella’s mind jumbled with questions, the encounter with the ice hellion leaving her unsettled. How many more miscreants like him lurked among them? The urgency of finding the others weighed heavily on her mind, knowing that being separated was far from ideal in their current situation. Despite her reservations, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Sirius held the key to some answers. For now, she allowed him a chance to slip away, focusing instead on regrouping with the rest of their party.

“We have to find the others before the sun goes down,” Airella informed Jonathan as she rose to her feet.

Recognizing the importance of the task at hand, Jonathan nodded in agreement.

Airella’s gaze shifted upwards, revealing the sun at its zenith in the sky, marking the passage of midday. The urgency of their situation heightened as they realized the looming threat of being stranded in the dark wilderness, surrounded by unknown dangers.

With a shared determination, Jonathan and Airella set off, their steps guided by hope of discovering even the slightest clue to the whereabouts of their missing companions. As they ventured forth, a sudden interruption halted their progress.

“Wait.”

The voice pierced through the air, causing both the redhead and the blonde to freeze in their tracks. Airella turned around, her eyes meeting Sirius, who stood steadfastly in the same spot they had left him.

In the aftermath of their encounter with the obsidian hellion, Sirius appeared to have reverted to his usual composed demeanor, concealing any trace of emotion that might betray his inner thoughts.

“You never answered my question.”

Airella stared at him for a moment, her eyes fixed on his, as she replayed the memory of breaking him out of the confines of the prison wagon. The image of them escaping into the dense forest lingered in her mind, a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that surrounded them.

“You’ve proven to have a good heart, Sirius,” she finally spoke. “That’s why I saved you.” She grappled with the weight of her decision to put her trust in a Miscreant, realizing the gravity of the risks they were taking. Airella felt like she owed him a further explanation, but finding the right words felt like an impossible task at that moment.

Turning away, she resumed her steps, her gaze evading any contact with the reaper trailing behind her. Despite her efforts to focus on the path ahead, she couldn’t shake off the lingering sense of his presence hovering over her and Jonathan. With a mix of curiosity and fear, Airella stole a glance towards the enigmatic figure with white hair, their silent companion on this uncertain journey.

“Are you coming with us?” Airella asked Sirius, her eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern as she awaited his response. Sirius, with an air of nonchalance, gazed blankly at her for a moment before finally speaking.

“I might as well,” he said, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. “You humans manage to find trouble pretty effortlessly. I suppose I could offer my assistance. Not to mention I also need my scythe back.” With a casual stride, he caught up to their pace, his presence adding a subtle aura of mystery to their group.

Observing the interaction, Jonathan raised his eyebrows and flashed a knowing smile at Airella. “He could prove quite handy if we encounter any unforeseen challenges,” he remarked, his voice laced with confidence.

Airella, though accustomed to Jonathan’s unwavering positivity, couldn’t shake off a sense of unease. She exhaled slowly, anticipating the reactions of the soldiers once they realized they were accompanied by Sirius, who carried an enigmatic air that often drew mixed responses from those around him.

As they continued their journey, the familiar sound of distress reached their ears, prompting Airella to scan the surroundings. Her gaze settled on Duran, who kneeled on the ground, visibly exhausted and struggling to catch his breath.

He looked up at the trio, disgust filling his eyes once his gaze landed on Sirius. “Why, you... you knew! You knew about that ice Miscreant... he caught at least half of our men!” Duran unsheathed his sword and charged at Sirius, who stood there in silence, a flicker of defiance in his eyes.

Jonathan quickly stepped into Duran’s path, his hands held up in a calming gesture, his voice firm but soothing. “Duran, calm yourself. Violence won’t solve anything here.”

Duran’s chest heaved, and he fell to his knees as exhaustion seeped through his every pore. Sweat dripped from his brow, mingling with the dust of their surroundings. He looked up at the vast expanse of the sky, his breaths ragged, and a deranged chuckle escaped his lips.

“We’re going to die out here, all of us,” he muttered, a sense of impending doom weighing heavily upon him. Shaking his head in disbelief, he covered his face with a trembling hand, the weight of their situation bearing down on him.

“What are you talking about?” Airella’s voice carried a note of concern as she approached Duran, her steps cautious on the uneven terrain. She reached out a hand to steady him as he leaned against a large rock, the rough surface pressing against his back, a stark contrast to the turmoil within him.

“All our supplies, at least half of our men. It’s gone,” lamented Duran, his voice tinged with sorrow as he surveyed the aftermath. “We’re going to be stranded in this hellhole.” Duran shielded his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun, a tangible symbol of their misfortune.

“That’s right... we abandoned everything in our haste to escape that ice Miscreant,” Jonathan interjected, his tone reflecting a mix of regret and urgency.

“Zol,” Sirius murmured almost imperceptibly, his words barely audible beside Airella, who tried to feign indifference.

“Alright, let’s retrace our steps and retrieve what we lost. We know what to expect now. We can be careful and just take back what we need,” Airella proposed, a sense of determination creeping into her voice. She was fully prepared to do whatever she needed in order to be reunited with Dawnbreaker. She recalled dropping it while freeing Sirius from his confinement, a moment of oversight that now weighed heavily on her mind.

A pang of frustration gripped Airella as she cursed her forgetfulness, the weight of her realization settling heavily upon her. She felt acutely aware of the daunting challenges awaiting them without the comfort of Dawnbreaker by her side.

“Are you stupid?” Duran’s voice growled with an edge of urgency. “Just take a moment to look around. The situation we find ourselves in is dire! If we backtrack to retrieve our supplies now, the odds of us facing slaughter are alarmingly high!”

“He’s not wrong, Airella,” Jonathan chimed in reluctantly, his expression mirroring the gravity of their predicament.

Contemplating the gravity of the situation, Airella’s voice rose with determination. “Do you honestly believe we could safely navigate the journey back to the ship without essential provisions, such as food, water, and our limited arsenal of weapons? Sirius is without his scythe, I’m without my axe, and Jonathan is without his sword. Returning to camp without our gear would be risky. Our best bet is to reunite with as many soldiers as possible, regroup, and strategically retrieve our belongings.” Airella’s impassioned plea resonated through the group, underlining the urgency of their predicament.

Duran and Jonathan exchanged uneasy glances as they gazed at her, uncertainty clouding their expressions.

Even Sirius, known for his stoic demeanor, couldn’t conceal the hint of fear in the presence of the mysterious obsidian creature. Despite the trepidation hanging in the air, the task at hand was clear, a necessary mission that weighed heavily on every member of the small group.

Throughout the rest of the day, the team diligently scoured the area in search of survivors. By day’s end, they had located a small fraction of the men they set out with. They found some huddled together, others wandering alone, and unfortunately, a few could not be accounted for. The sense of relief mingled with sorrow as they reflected on the lives saved and those still missing in the ordeal’s aftermath.

The sky was darkening, painting streaks of orange and pink across the horizon as the sun started its descent. Despite the fading light, a sense of urgency lingered in the air. They knew they had to act fast to retrieve their supplies before nightfall.

As they set off toward the spot where they last encountered the elusive ice hellion, each step seemed to echo louder in the encroaching silence. The biting cold crept in, causing the men to huddle closer and exchange uneasy glances.

Jonathan, being his optimistic self, tried to reassure them, “It’s okay, he may not even be around anymore.”

With every passing moment, the wind picked up strength, whipping through the air and sending swirls of snowflakes dancing around them. Soon, a sprinkling of snow dusted Airella’s golden blonde locks, causing her to wrap her arms around herself to ward off the chill. Her gaze shifted to Sirius, whose stoic expression betrayed a hint of fear in his eyes. Despite the freezing temperatures, he stood resolute, his focus unwavering as they ventured further into the icy unknown.

The prison wagon, which had been torn to bits at Airella’s doing, came into view. Everyone kept their distance, and Duran stood before them all as they waited for him to give the queue. They all waited in silence, spreading out so no one would get in someone else’s way.

Duran waved his hand in the air after giving a quick scan of the area, signaling to everyone that it was okay to head out for the supplies.

The remaining soldiers, their breath visible in the cold air, moved swiftly and silently towards the barred wagon. Each step seemed to echo the weight of their mission, a mix of urgency and dread hanging in the air.

Airella felt unease as she snuck her way through the soldiers that had become frozen statues, their faces twisted in expressions of fear and surprise. Her heart plummeted when her gaze fell on two familiar faces she knew all too well.

Her eyes stung at the frozen sight of Brenner, his loyal companion Darian at his side. She tried to reach out, her hand trembling, but found herself unable to move, paralyzed by grief and shock. The dreadful realization filled her mind that it was too late for them. They were dead, their lives snuffed out in an instant, leaving behind only these cold, unmoving shells. A tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered their names, the weight of her loss settling heavily on her shoulders.

As they reached the wagon, the soldiers stooped to collect their bags of weaponry, armor, and meager rations. The fallen bodies of their comrades served as stark reminders of the peril that surrounded them, driving home the reality that danger lurked at every turn.

Airella turned her gaze towards the wagon, her breath forming frosty puffs in the frigid air. She bent down to retrieve Dawnbreaker where she had dropped it when freeing Sirius from his confining cage. As her fingers closed around the worn handle, a chill ran down her spine, a sense of foreboding settling over her like a heavy shroud. Suddenly, a wave of paralysis washed over her, freezing her in place as if she had stepped into a waking nightmare. Her mind raced with a thousand unspoken fears.

The glowing icy blue eyes glared straight into hers, piercing through the darkness. His obsidian helmet, etched with intricate patterns, concealed his facial features as he lay motionless on his stomach atop the creaking wagon. Airella felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized his presence was mere inches away from her. His intense gaze seemed to search her soul, questioning her very existence.

“Em...ma?” The hellion’s voice was a whisper, filled with an unspoken mystery, as he inclined his head slightly, drawing closer to Airella. With a fluid motion, he shifted onto his hands and knees, his eyes never leaving her face, scrutinizing every detail.

Surprised, Airella instinctively took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Sirius.” Her voice quivered, a mix of fear and curiosity lacing her words. In this moment of uncertainty, she called out to him before comprehending why his name escaped her lips. The surrounding air crackled with an unknown tension, as if the fate of their encounter hung in the balance of unspoken words.

The ice hellion stood menacingly on the rooftop of the prison wagon, a haunting figure amidst the chaos. His intense gaze surveyed the bewildered men below, freezing them in fear. Slowly, he drew his twin daggers, each blade glinting in the dim light. As he prepared to strike, a chilling transformation overtook him—icy crystals materialized around his helmet and the horns on his head, radiating an otherworldly aura.

With a deafening screech that pierced the air, he unleashed a primal cry of anger and frustration, the words foreign yet filled with malice.

The men, paralyzed by terror, barely had time to react before Duran’s urgent warning shattered the silence.

“Run!” he shouted, his sword raised defensively as he retreated towards the safety of the forest.

Airella, gripped by a mix of fear and determination, witnessed the hellion’s ruthless pursuit, his speed and savagery unmatched. With a firm grasp on Dawnbreaker, she steeled herself for the impending confrontation. However, a sudden tug on her arm diverted her attention, pulling her focus away from the unfolding chaos and towards an unknown force beckoning her away from the impending danger.

“You can’t fight him. He’s too dangerous.” Sirius, who now had his cloak and scythe in hand, warned, his voice tinged with urgency. The wind howled around them, carrying the scent of impending danger.

“Airella, we have to follow the others. We can’t lose them again!” Jonathan’s voice cut through the panic and chaos, his words a beacon of reason in the turmoil. He dashed towards her, his footsteps leaving imprints in the freshly fallen snow.

Sirius and Airella exchanged a glance, a silent agreement passing between them. With a nod, they followed Jonathan’s lead, their steps steady but determined as they trudged through the snow-laden landscape. Each of them carried bags of supplies, the weight a physical reminder of the challenges ahead.

At that moment, amidst the swirling snowflakes and the distant echoes of danger, it became clear. Airella’s resolve was unwavering; she was determined to leave this island, even if it meant defying Duran’s wishes.