Meadow of ash trees

the eyes of death

Ash 

I stormed out of the training room and walked quickly towards a small broom closet. I felt comfort from confined spaces, in a smaller space the less I have to worry about. This small closet reminded me of the single closet at home that was mine and mine alone. I hate to admit it, but I missed it. At least on earth, I didn't have to worry about fighting a war. I slid down to the floor and rested my head on my knees and took a deep breath that I immediately regretted.  It smelled like rotten meat and dirty laundry gagging. I covered my nose with the collar of my fighting gear safely covering most of my face. I stood and stumbled around the small closet, my eyes widened as I saw what the cause of the smell was. A body. There was a freaking body. I wanted to scream but nothing came out. I just stood there unable to control my own body. Whoever it was has been dead for some time. This body was already starting to decay and I could see part of their skull. 

I'm not sure when I left the closet but I was now making my way slowly back to where I left my instructor  Ember. She must have noticed something was off. She stalked towards me like a cat and shook my shoulder before I noticed she was speaking to me.

“ Hey what's wrong with you,” she questioned I took a minute to gather my bearings and words but all that came out of my mouth was one word

“Body” I whispered “ I found a body in the closet,” I said in a hushed voice. I watched the shock cross embers face then anger.

“ take me to it” she commanded and for some reason, I grabbed her hand like a frightened child and led her to where I found death. Ember told me to stay outside the closet and make sure no one went in. She went to grab Anton and Will. All three of them came rushing down the hall towards me None of them paid me any mind and cramped themselves in the closet, before the door shut behind them Will turned to me with a sad apologetic look on his face.

“ Lilly is in the garden you should go find her,” he said. I was being dismissed. I had no choice but to leave. I could not bring myself to go back into the closet. I didn't remember where the gardens were so I just went to my room. This place looked like a fairytale but there was death waiting at every corner here. How am I going to survive this? How am I going to fight a war? There was a small knock on my door and a tiny Lilly slipped through the c***k. She came rushing in and wrapped her arms around me guiding me to the bed. I just cried. I'm not sure why I didn't know the person, so why am I crying. Lilly stroked my hair and whispered comforting words in the air as I cling to her. I eventually fell into a restless sleep.

Will

I and Anton were out on a patrol around the fortress grounds when Ember came riding up on her massive black steed.

“I need you guys to come with me. We have an emergency” ember declared before riding off towards the training grounds. I swiftly and expertly turned Ella, my horse, to follow alongside ember. 

  “What is the emergency em?” Anton interjected looking sideways at ember she-demon “ arent you to train ash today why are you here and not with her.” Anton continued he could be such an ass sometimes when it came to the war, and right now Ash is the war.

 Rolling her eyes ember continued to ride at a steady pace before answering 

“A body was found. Ash found it'' she said in a hushed tone as we passed the market place. A body that meant the queen could have broken through our walls and spells.

“ s**t, what if it's her. Ash isn't ready to fight her yet. If she gets in we are doomed the rest of the kingdom is dead.” I almost yelled

“ Calm down Will now is not the time to panic we must first confirm it's her,” Anton said calmly. But I could tell by the way quickened his pace that he was just as scared and worried as me. Everything we have been fighting for could be gone by morning if that wicked queen founded where we have been hiding. Every single person would be killed or mind-controlled by morning if it's her.

All three of us swung off our horses and rushed towards where ash said she found the body. I stumbled a little seeing ash standing in front of a closet door. She looked so small and broken. I wanted to comfort her but I couldn't I had a job I needed to do and Anton had already warned me not to get distracted by her. This must be her first time seeing something like this, she did not grow up with death as me and my people have. This is her first time looking upon what's in wait for the future. Lots of us are going to die for our freedom from the queen. lots of us already have. The sooner Ash learned that the better. Even with that in mind I could not help but remember the first time I saw a dead body. My mother and Lilly's father wrapped around each other and their horrific screams as the queen's mutants slaughtered almost the entirety of my kingdom. Anger coursed through me at the memory, but when we passed through the door I looked back at Ash and told her where to find my sister. She is going to need a friend. Then the door closed and I had to focus on what was in front of me.

It was definitely a body. I cast an enchantment on my and antons noses that would eliminate the odor coming from the corner of the cramped closet. instead of using magic Ember just pulled out a facemask that matched her combat outfit.

“ Thanks, Will for the enchantment,” Anton said, “ ok ember do you see the queen's mark on the body?” Anton continued “ or any form of mutation that would put them part of the queen's army.”

Ember looked at the body with her enhanced vision and took a step closer. I felt Ember pull on her power to carefully lift and rotate the body to ensure she didn't miss something.

Ember shed “ there is nothing this man was not one of the queens” that's good but if he wasn't one of the queens then who was he? I stepped forward past ember and called on my power,  this spell would need precision so I spoke the spell aloud making my intentions very clear 

“ oh ancestors on the other side lend me your power to bring forth the spirit that once resided in this body.”

 my power flowed out of me at a steady pace causing an eerie green glow to fill the room before it got cold and a wispy figure appeared over the body. The spell was complete but it had taken all my energy to cast. It wasn't easy to perform spirit magic. I walked over to the wall opposite the ghostly figure and took a seat to preserve the last of my energy.

“ Who are you?” Anton questioned the hazy figure. The figure drifted to the center of the closet and turned and let out a ghostly howl that could freeze anyone in their steps but not me. I have cast this spell a dozen times and every single time the spirit does this

“Cut the crap dead dude tell us who you are or i will send you to hell right now” i threatened it. It considered my threat for a second then floated close to the ground

“ My name is John” it answered in a disembodied voice. 

“ How did you end up here john” i questioned  

“I used to live in  Glowement, a town east of here. Then the queen's army came. I made it out with my life but barely I fell off a cliff and ended up here after I broke through some rotted wood.”

I looked up to validate his story and sure enough, there was a hole of jagged wood and dirt.

I nodded to Anton and ember who had let me take control of the situation, 

“ ok john that is all you can return to where you came from” and like that the room went back to its normal fluorescent glow and became sticky with the summer heat. I stood with a grunt and left the room leaving ember and Anton to deal with the rest of the work. I made my way to the garden to see if ash found Lilly. I found Lilly right away she was working with the peppermint plants that we used a lot in healing potions and to heighten our awareness in battle. 

“ Did Ash find you, sister?” I asked her as I wrapped her in a hug.

“No was she supposed to? I don't think she fully knows where she is going yet she has only been here a day.” Lilly remarked. Worry crossed lilies face when she turned towards me 

“ did something happen will you look exhausted.'' I shook my head and told her everything. She gasped when i told her ash had found the body and her forehead creased even more from worry.

“ you need some rest. I'm going to find ash”  Lilly pronounced and rushed from the garden. 

I knew my sister would take care of Ash but I had to fight not to go to her room and wrap her in my arms, I can't get distracted now.