The Shadow.
Part 2: The Quest

Shroud awoke several days later still I the darkness of the cavern. Getting up he noticed the girl he had rescued was resting beside him. Her head resting by his side. Not wanting to wake her he carefully got to his feet.
Quickly and quietly he crossed the dark caver till he reached the door. Then with great care he opened the door. Satisfied that it was dark outside he walked through. There he found Darkwind sitting over some books.
"How long have I been out for?" he asked.
"Two nights," replied Darkwind, not looking up. "The girl hasn't left your side since the night you rescued her."
"Do you know her name?" asked Shroud.
"Gailia, I think," replied Darkwind
"Well she's asleep now," said Shroud as he grabbed an apple from a small wooden bowl.
"Ok then, are you ready to go?"
"Go where?"
"I sent Rasul off the day after you arrived to try and find that cleric temple. He has just sent word that the cleric has been found. His name is Jecad, but he isn't in good shape. No one knows what happened to him. Rasul said that it looks like one of the plague lord's creations. He is in extreme pain but for some reason won't die. It also hasn't spread to any other clerics in the temple. This makes me-"
"Think that someone is trying to keep him quiet and tormenting him at the same time," said Shroud finishing Darkwind's trail of thought.
"Well there is nothing left to do but leave," said Darkwind. "Dawn and I have prepared our packs. Let's go before she wakes up. She wants to come with us."
But just as Darkwind and Shroud were about to grab their packs the door burst open and Gailia rushed out.
"Hey!" she cried. "You guy's almost left without me."
"What was I thinking," said Darkwind slapping his forehead. "You were asleep down there for so long I forgot all about you. Dawn prepared a pack for you upstairs. Go and fetch it, we'll wait here."
While Gailia ran up the stairs Darkwind motioned for Shroud to quickly grab his pack. They were small, consisting of a little food and blankets to last them till they reached the next town.
Upstairs Gailia could not find anything prepared for her. Realising Darkwind must have made a mistake she ran back down the stairs. On the way down she spied a black cloak hanging from a hook. Great care had been taken to keep the cloak preserved. She reached up, grabbed it off the hook and ran down. There she saw that the others had already left.
"Boys," she said. "They've probably left already and forgotten me. Those two would forget their heads if they weren't screwed on. That Darkwind also forgot that he didn't make a pack up for me. I had better go remind him."
Gailia ran out of the hut and onto the dark lonely streets with no weapons protection bar the cloak she clutched under one arm.

"So what are we going to do when the sun rises?" asked Shroud as they left the city.
"Well I know of a cave that we should get to just before dawn. We can wait there till night falls again."
"Co- what was that?" asked Shroud as a scream cut through the dark night.
"it sounded like a young girl," replied Darkwind.
"It's coming from behind us," called Shroud as he started running back.
"We don't have time for this," called Darkwind giving chase.

"Hey, what's this? A crappy old cape." Shroud and Darkwind rounded the bend to see three thugs robbing a traveller. Shroud recognised the girl as Gailia. Darkwind recognised the cloak.
"It looks worthless, scrap it," replied the second thug in reply to the cape. The first thug smiled as he pulled back his knife. But before he could harm the cape he fell back, a small neat hole in his chest.
"Leave the cape alone," snarled Darkwind.
"I thought you said we didn't have time for this?" asked Shroud smirking.
"Just shut up and grab the cloak."
Shroud ran towards the cloak as the two thugs rushed Darkwind. The first tripped over an invisible leg, courtesy of Shroud. The second tried to slash Darkwind, but failed as the thief gathered the shadows around himself. Shroud threw the cloak around Gailia to hide her and then ran back along the road. The two remaining thugs were lost and confused, and decided not to following the footsteps of their invisible assailants.

Later when the sun began to rise Darkwind led them to a cave and turned to face Gailia.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" shouted Darkwind, fuming.
"It's ok," said Shroud soothing.
"You didn't exactly tell her to stay put you know."
"I hoped she would have taken the hin-."
Darkwind dropped to the ground and slithered to the entrance. He quickly came back, a worried expression in his face.
"Seems the thugs weren't to quiet about what they saw, or should I say, what they didn't see."
The same soldiers that attacked the Shadow Vale are just outside that cave entrance. They've put two and two together and know you're the one who killed their friend.
Darkwind heard a distinct sound from the entrance.
"Fire," he hissed. "Their lightning logs and are gonna start chucking them down. They must know about your weakness."
"Which means they know who did this to me. We need to find out where they're from.
"First we need to get out of here alive."
"Is there another exit?" asked Gailia.
"No, and I never would of chosen this cave normally but the ones I planned on hiding in behind us where blocked."
"Then it was a trap, all along. They knew where we were headed and blocked those caves, forcing us in here."
"I think so kid.
"Well you guy's get out. They shouldn't know about Gailia. She can just walk out there and say she was looking around. Depending on their mood she could get out of it. And you're a thief. It would be easy to get past them."
"But what about you?" asked Gailia. "I'm not going to leave you."
"I'll be alright," he said, trying to re-assure her. He knew in his heart that he was at the end of his journey.
"I can hide under the cloak. It should be able to protect me from the light."
"Are you crazy?" blurted out Gailia. "It'll burn up in the fire and then you'll be toast.
"No," said Darkwind softly. "It wont." Shroud and Gailia turned to face him.
"I have an idea."
"What is it?" asked Shroud.
"This cape can protect the wearer from fire. Which means it won't burn. Shroud, you get under the cloak. Make sure it completely covers you. Next I want you Gailia to get in with him. The cloak should have no trouble concealing the two of you."
"But what about you?" asked Gailia.
"I should be able to bind enough of a shadow to cast a shield around me. This way I can be ready to attack then moment they come in.
Shroud grew silent and pulled the cloak over them both.
Gailia buried her had into Shrouds chest. For some reason she felt safe her with him, despite the dangers they were about to face. Shroud drew his arm around her and she felt more so.
Soon the sound of tumbling logs and a raging fire could be heard. Shroud felt a large object strike his back, but felt no heat.
"As soon as I give the word Gailia," hissed Darkwind over the fire.
"Run to the back of the cave and hide."
Gailia just gripped Shroud harder and gritted her teeth. The sound of the fire was beginning to worry her.
"How can we still be here?" she thought to herself.
"The cloak must should be in fire by now, but it is as cool as ever."

After what felt like an hour a call was heard for it to be put out. Water mages flooded the cave, putting out the fire.
"Five minutes should be enough to make them nice and crispy," laughed one as he walked down to inspect the body. A shadow spike to the chest greeted him.
"Now!" screamed Darkwind.
Gailia got up and ran to the back. Shroud drew his sword and charged out, his body protected from the light by the cloak. He cut through the first line of troops and dove into the forest.
Darkwind casually walked out of the cave and watched as the soldiers blindly gave chase, and Shroud walk out of the forest alone several moments later.
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" yelled Gailia, stamping her foot. "I had no idea where you were going."
"How else were we supposed to get rid of em. Darky and I never could have taken them all on," replied Shroud casually.
"That's beside the point," said Gailia crossly. "I was worried sick.
"For a whole two minutes?" asked Shroud mockingly. This earned him a sharp kick in the shins.
"Come on children," said Darkwind.
"The next town is not far, and those troops are bound to come back as soon as they give up. And since you now have that cloak you can travel by day. Both the fire and the flood destroyed all our stuff, so we'll have to re-stock when we get there. But that shouldn't be a problem."
Gailia walked to the front, her noise pointed into the air as she passed Shroud.
"What's up with her?" asked Shroud.
"You'll learn soon enough," replied Darkwind, thinking back, not for the first time since he left, about his love Dawn.

"Here we are," announced Darkwind at nightfall.
Before them stood the large gates of the city.
"How do we get in?" asked Gailia.
"The gates must be locked by this hour."
"Yes, but your forgetting how dangerous these roads are," replied Darkwind smoothly.
Cradling her in one arm he knocked on a small wooden door to the side.
"Open up, we need to get in," shouted the slythe.
"What do you want?" asked the Gatekeeper.
"Just a room for the lady. Thugs on the road attacked her. They took everything."
Gailia threw in a few tears and the keeper stepped aside, muttering a few words about how low thieves would stood these days. Shroud slipped in while he wasn't looking and jumped out its narrow window into the streets.
"The local Inn is just up the road. They should be able to take her in, and don't worry about the streets, they have been well guarded ever since the attack."
"Must have been when Ackrul's friend was poisoned," thought Darkwind as he led Gailia to the tavern. After getting her settled to a room he left to find Shroud.
"Now stay put," he to Gailia said as he left.

Meanwhile Shroud made his way to the cleric temple, and stood by Jecad's bed.
"You remind me much like your father," said a voice from the bed. Shroud was startled and stepped forward.
"How did you know I was here?" he asked.
"I may have lost my sight, but I didn't loose me sense of hearing. I heard you come in, and only two people would come to see me now. Your father and yourself, but your father would have introduced himself by now. So tell me, what has delayed him?"
Shroud started to speak but stopped. He didn't know how to tell the old man that his father was dead."
"He… well you see."
Shroud trailed off, not being able to say the words.
"His dead," said Darkwind coldly from the doorway.
"He was killed by the same people who turned his son into a shadow."
Jecad let out a sigh of regret.
"We were afraid of that," he said finally.
"What are you talking about?" asked Shroud.
"Ackrul always knew that he would be found. The people who sent him were powerful, and could track him down easily. So we destroyed his body and placed it in another. Unfortunately traces of his heritage was impeded in his spirit and thus they were able to track him down. And now it has passed into you.
You are the key to everything. Everything Ackrul renounced. This is their second attempt at making one like you."
"You mean there's more like him?" asked Darkwind worried.
"Yes. Another who has demon blood. Tricked into hell he was possessed by an infant demon that grew with him over time, so as not to completely over take him. But enough to destroy his mind and leave him as a tool for them. And in a life or death situation it struck. The demon emerged, forcing back the host's mind. But something else happened then didn't it Darkwind. There was one there who through his experience with summoning demons brought the young boy's mind back. His name was,"
"Azura!" blurted out Darkwind. "Which means the child was Jack."
"Yes, replied Jecad. "He was the first. From then things went down hill for them. He used the power of the demon they placed in him to fight them, and in the end with the help of his friends he won. His mind was free of the beast, no longer assaulting his sanity."
"But what dose this have to do with me?" asked Shroud.
"You were the second attempt. This time they did not try to implant another demon. Instead they took the power that you received from your father and brought it out. Then they moulded it to bring you misery, and finally into their waiting hands. But you proved stronger then they had first thought, and thus they want to get rid of you."
"But why?" asked Shroud. "What am I to them? What is so special about someone who is part demon?"
"You mean you really don't know child?" asked Jecad surprised.
"Know what?"
"Know what you can become. If you enter Hell and stay for long enough, you will receive the power of the ages, and become powerful enough to bring an end to everything, make one side win. Good or evil, it is your choice. And now you are no longer in their control, they fear that you will choose Good. For that reason you must not be."
Shroud sat down on a small stool off to the side. It was a lot to think about. But at least now he knew why they did this.
"But if they send him to hell then how are they supposed to get him back?" asked Darkwind, leaning closer.
"Why would you want to know?" asked Jecad.
"Because my friend, the other, is in Hell right now. And if I can get him back…" Darkwind trailed off, a sad look in his eyes.
"Well in that case," replied Jecad with renewed spirit.
"No."
"Look out!" screamed Gailia from the hallway. Darkwind looked up at her and then back at Jecad just in time to see the scythe arc up towards him. He jumped back and an Ashwin appeared throwing off the illusion that tricked Shroud and Darkwind.
"So everything you told us was a lie then," growled Shroud.
"No, I was telling the truth about everything. And you can still join us if you want. We can cure you."
Shroud stopped. For as long as he could remember he had been searching for a cure, and now that he had found it, what was he going to do? How could he trust one of the men who killed his father, but on the other hand, how could he walk away?
"Where's Jecad?" asked Darkwind.
"Oh, sadly he passed away just a few hours before you came. Sad thing, seemed he got a nasty infection somehow."
The Ashwin chuckled at his own joke. This threw Darkwind into a fury and he leapt forward, shadow shot aimed at his chest. The Ashwin nimbly stepped aside and lunged for Shroud.
"Hows this? Join us, or DIE!"
Shroud quickly drew his sword and blocked the scythe to the side. The Ashwin flew into him and sent them both reeling across the room. Picking up the black cloak he rammed a small dagger through the open hood, and struck nothing.
"What is this?" he exclaimed.
"This is what you made," replied Shroud who had escaped unseen from the cloak in the tumble. He slashed the Ashwin across the back, as a warning shot.
"What do you want?" asked the Ashwin, fear entering his eyes. For some reason he had never expected the child to do this, to abuse the powers they gave him and use it against them.
"I want answers. Who did this to me and where can I find them?"
"I'll never tell!" he screamed, lunging towards the sound of the voice.
Shroud slashed his leg as he went past and the Ashwin slid across the floor.
"Answers now," demanded Shroud.
"Ok. His name is Herwok. You will find his castle 5 nights of journey to the east. He is the one who performed the spell. We just helped him out. If anyone can undo it, it will be him. Just please stop," pleaded the Ashwin.
"Thankyou," replied Shroud, walking away.
"Oh thankyou," replied the Plague carrier. "For giving me such an opportunity to destroy you."
"The Ashwin drew a torch and a flint from his cloak and prepared to strike it. To far away to stop him, Shroud decided then to make a run for the cloak. But it was too far.
Just when the Ashwin was to strike the flint, a sickening thud could be heard. Shroud skidded to a stop and looked behind him. There was the Ashwin, kneeling over the flint and torch, a gapping hole in his back.
"Thanks," said Shroud relieved.
"I owe you one DW."
"I'll put it on your tab," replied Darkwind. "Now it's late, and we should rest. We'll set off tomorrow.
And this time stay in bed," said Darkwind as if talking to a child, looking at Gailia.
"It was a warm night, I wanted to go for a walk," she replied.

END PART 2: The Quest

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