Chapter 2 – Evil Walks These Lands

The unnatural storm had stopped, or at least was resting for a while, leaving the ashen lands eerily silent. Cinders muffled the footsteps of the two travellers, leaving the loudest sound to be their breath and heartbeat, sign of life the power in the air seeked to extinguish. If the crimson lightning had been an overt manifestation of this power, now it hung as a more insidious presence in the atmosphere. Adelaide knew the identity of the power, she had met it once face to face, and various times in different forms of manifestation, but she dared not even think its name, lest she draw its attention towards them.

So they trudged on forward, silently. Adelaide thought the air had the consistency of treacle and her legs had turned to lead, but whether it was because of physical exhaustion or some external force attempting to push them back she could not tell. Adrian seemed immune to it, whatever it was, or maybe he simply hid his struggling very well, but he seemed still quite fresh. She would’ve asked about it if talking weren’t so painful.

Then, to add to her woes, a breeze soon started, and quickly ascended to a strong wind and then a gale. Ash billowed up, stinging the eyes and the throat, making them have to seek refuge behind a hill, which did not provide all that much relief. Adelaide thought she could almost hear malign laughter carried by the wind, mocking their frailty and rejoicing in the surety of their demise.

“We shall have to wait out the storm,” said Adrian, his voice carrying surprisingly easily over the howling wind.

Adelaide went to answer, but she could no more than croak, and ash got into her mouth, making her cough and spit out the cinders. In the end she managed to speak somewhat dignifiedly.

“The storm shall last as long as Its power is behind it, and It does not desire us to advance”

“Then, you say It could destroy us with but a small part of Its will?” Adrian asked, it was a question Adelaide believed to have an affirmative, but, nevertheless, she answered differently.

“No, It can only attempt to force us to give up. I shall not surrender to It.”

“Then, lady, you shall destroy yourself instead of It destroying you?”

“At least it shall be honourable and dignified”

“And painful”

Adelaide had no answer to that, or maybe the wind simply drowned out her words.