Robert Keller - The Heart of Shadows

Suddenly, a nearby Knight cried out a warning. Something was hovering beside him in the torchlight-a shimmering mass that looked like a pillar of dark, transparent smoke. The Knight struck at the smoke but it somehow eluded his sword. He swung his weapon again, and this time the sword was batted aside by what looked like a metallic, clawed hand lashing out from the smoke. Another clawed hand ripped through the Knight's armor, and the Knight was suddenly engulfed in crimson fire that blazed so hot it burned him to ash, armor and all. The other Knights tried to attack the shadow, but suddenly it was gone.

"It has to be the Specter!" Trenton said. "It will seek to kill us one by one, right down to the last warrior-just as it did the members of the Blood Legion who once occupied this fortress!"

Taris didn't answer. His eyes burned with focus.

"We have to find a way to corner it," said Jace, "and subject it to multiple attacks. Otherwise we don't stand a chance."

"We will hold formation," Taris insisted. The cloaked, hooded sorcerer held his burning stone dagger in front of him, but otherwise he didn't seem to be preparing any significant attack.

"Lannon, help me find this enemy!" said Vannas. The Birlote prince held the White Flamestone in a trembling hand, his confidence shattered by his inability to locate any sort of target. His fur cloak hung open to the waist, leaving only his thin tunic to protect him from the freezing air, but he made no effort to button it. His eyes were wide as he scanned the grounds.

Lannon searched the fortress (the parts of it that were in range of the Eye) yet saw nothing but anxious and confused warriors. It was another snowy night, with glittering flakes swirling through the air and helping to hide whatever was attacking them. Lannon's gaze pierced the snowflakes but couldn't lock onto whatever foe was moving around the fortress. Lannon knew their enemy had to be incredibly fast to escape the sweeping gaze of the Eye.

More cries arose from around Blombalk. Some of the Legion Soldiers had gathered close to the Divine Knights, their focus only on survival. Timlin had exited the Council Barracks and stood flanked by his Goblin Lords and surrounded by Soldiers. Due to their training, everyone was attempting to get into, and hold, defensive formations. Yet some of the Soldiers were still running around the grounds and looking confused.

One of the tents suddenly burst into flames, and then a huge Greywind horse was lifted by an invisible force and flung through the air to its death. With a battle cry, a Red Knight hurled a flaming lance at something-but the lance missed and lodged in the fortress wall. Archers fired arrows but never seemed to hit anything.

"Keep searching, Lannon!" Taris commanded.

Lannon did as ordered, but he didn't catch so much as a glimpse of their foe. Meanwhile, a Knight was seized by a shadow and dragged away from the group, howling and hacking at the shadow with his blade. More lances and arrows were launched at the shadow but never made contact. Moments later, the Knight had been burned to ash by crimson fire.

Trenton Shadowbane groaned in frustration. "Jace is right-we need to corner it somehow or we're all going to die!"

Shennen whirled about, blade in hand, his keen Birlote eyes scanning the fortress. "How can we kill a creature that swift?"

Jerret stood with a helpless look on his face, his anger having turned to shock and the battle lust drained from him.

Suddenly, Lannon caught a glimpse of a blob of immensely powerful sorcery. He pointed toward it. Vannas launched a ray of fire at it from the White Flamestone that blew apart a section of the fortress wall but didn't seem to hit anything else. The prince shook his head in disgust.

Lannon lost sight of their foe again.

"What kind of enemy is this?" Daledus said, his eyes wide. He turned this way and that, gripping his huge axe. "It's merely toying with us!"

Chaos erupted amongst the Legion Soldiers guarding Timlin, as two of them fell to the unseen assassin. Lannon's gaze faltered. He couldn't believe what was happening. The Specter-if indeed that's what was attacking-was far more powerful that he'd ever imagined. Only Jace had seemed to understand just how devastating this foe was. Lannon wondered if any of them would survive. He could imagine the sorrow at Dremlock once the kingdom learned of their fate.

"How long must we hold formation?" Trenton said. "Clearly, this isn't working. I suggest we go on the attack!"

"Holding formation is all we have," said Taris. "Otherwise there will be mass confusion, and that will work to our foe's advantage."

Lannon caught another glimpse of the blob of dark sorcery, and this time he tried to freeze it with the Eye. But the creature was so strong it broke his hold instantly and with such force that Lannon was shaken. More arrows and flaming lances were launched toward it, but as before, they didn't connect. The shadow darted away from the weapons in a flicker of motion.

But Lannon sensed that something had changed. The creature had become aware of him when he'd tried to freeze it with the Eye. Lannon could almost feel it watching him, planning his demise. He shielded himself with the Eye, though he doubted it would be enough to save him. He cringed, certain he was about to be burned to ash by crimson fire and that no one could save him.

An explosion of blinding crimson light flashed through the camp, and everything seemed to slow to a crawl. It was as if time itself had been slowed, as the shadow advanced toward Lannon. Everyone seemed half frozen around him, barely moving. Either his companions had been slowed by some form of sorcery, or Lannon was seeing everything at an incredibly fast speed. The Eye told him it was the latter. He watched in dread as the darkness took form-becoming a cloaked, hooded figure floating above the snow. Two clawed hands, bound in what looked like silver gauntlets, protruded from its cloak sleeves. A pair of crimson eyes glowered at Lannon from beneath the Specter's hood. Hanging from the Specter's neck by a silver chain was a dark blue gem webbed with reddish veins-the Black Flamestone.

In that flicker of an instant, Lannon saw that the Specter was a greedy creature that killed to possess any treasures others might be carrying. It was as ancient as a Great Dragon of Tharnin, a fiend that had existed for thousands of years in bleak, treasure-filled caverns. The Blood Legion had tried to control it, but they had underestimated its greed and had paid a grim price.

Lannon thought he was going to die, because surely no one could match the Specter's speed. In fact, everyone seemed to be moving so slowly around him it was pathetic. The Eye had slowed his perception somehow, but the Specter was actually advancing toward him in a blur.

But Lannon was wrong, for Taris Warhawk suddenly turned toward the Specter, his dagger white hot with fire. Taris flung himself against the creature and plunged the dagger into its chest. There was an explosion of green and white sparks and Taris was flung through the air.

Lannon's perception returned to normal, for the burning, injured Specter had lost its incredible speed. Taris landed on his back in the snow, blood covering his forehead from a vicious wound, and he lay still.

The Specter lashed out with its claws at the closest Knight, ripping the fellow's armor apart and shredding the flesh beneath.

Flund Greenhelm charged the Specter, slashing a wound into it with his flaming sword. The Specter retaliated and caught Flund in the throat with a claw. The Birlote Knight collapsed into the snow, clutching his throat, as the Specter fled through the maze of tents.

"Don't let it escape!" Jace yelled, charging after the Specter.

Shennen and Daledus ran after him.

The Squires started to give chase, but Trenton ordered them to stay where they were. However, Vannas ignored him and kept going. Frustrated at Trenton's order, Lannon tried to freeze the Specter with the Eye, but even deeply injured, it was still too strong and easily broke his hold.