The Soul Stealer watched from the shadows near the main door to the castle Silverwing. Hovering in the darkness, becoming like the night itself…Watching for its chance to get past the guards.

He could hear the excitement of the voices just inside the great door.

The massive wooden doors swung open and Gwen was carried out by three of the Kings Guards…One on each side of her and one, following, carrying a lighted wooden touch.

The Soul Stealer made his move.

Like water he flowed from his hiding place and onto the carved rock steps that led to the great ramp that came from the great door down to the grounds below.

Carefully moving in the shadows of the steps he flowed to the ramps edge and then to the center of the ramp and laid still on its surface.

The two guards rolled over him. Small chards of lightning went unseen by the guards carrying Gwen…But Gwen saw the creature beneath her as she passed above him.

The two guards flinched but kept moving down the ramp.

Then the torch carrier rolled onto the unknown dark mass on the ramp.

The guard screamed with pain as dagger like chards of electricity stabbed into his wheels and frame. Then he was lifted and thrown onto Gwen and the guards just down the ramp.

All three tumbled to the base of the ramp.

The two door guards rushed down the ramp and The Soul Stealer made his move toward the unguarded door.

Up the ramp he moved, fast and silent and soon past the great wooden doors and now...On the hunt.

© DennisB 2011

“Something tripped me and then threw me down the ramp” the guard shouted as he was helped off the pile of bikes at the bottom of the ramp by the door guards.

“What was that dark, shadowy mass on the ramp”? He glanced up the long ramp and the shadow was gone.

The guard picked up the torch “Did any one else happen see that thing” he asked?

“YES” the word came from the darkness just beyond the torchlight and the voice was familiar to everyone.

Soon the hansom figure of Dionysus the Captain of the Kings Royal Guard, approached from out of the darkness.

“I just came from the dungeon and the two guards stationed there have been murdered and the prisoner, Dital, has escaped” He then looked at the guard with the torch.

“Yes, I saw the shadow move onto the ram just before you rolled over it…After it tossed your down the ramp, it waited for the door guards to help you. Then it moved up the ramp, like a shadow, and then into the castle door”

Dionysus looked down at the ground. “I was just too far away to do anything”.

“YOU TWO” Dionysus looked at the door guards “Yes Sir” they responded. “Return to your post at once”. The two door guards quickly moved back to the main castle doors.

Then Dionysus looked at Gwen “Who’s this” he asked?

“Sir, this one tried to kill the king with a dagger, and we are taking her to the dungeon to be chained… Kings orders, Sir”.

“Carry On…But be careful…There are more dangerous and deadly things lurking here now then what we have encountered as of late”. Dionysus eyes looked into the darkness.

“Yes sir” and then the three guards and their captive, moved off into the night toward the dungeon.

Dionysus, like a shadow on the hunt, quickly moved up the ramp and disappeared beyond the great doors.

© DennisB 2011

“Very good, very good indeed” Doctor LaMain was very pleased to see his chief assassin slip through the castle doors.

Just then…A small dark figure quickly ran across the court yard in front of the Doctors hiding place. Silent and with great speed the small creature moved to the next shrub and froze in place in the darkness.

The Doctor waited for a moment and then moved up behind the small but familiar creature squatting in its dark hiding place. Its attention was on castle doors.

Closer the Doctor moved…and then he withdrew a poisoned dagger from his cloak pocket.

Closer he came to the small creature.

The creature turned and saw the Doctor almost on him.

Doctor LaMain leaped and pushed the small creature into the stone wall and stuck the sharp dagger point into its throat and looked into its frightened yellow eyes.

“My Master, I serve you. O’Great one, please do not kill me”. The creature’s voice trembled with fear and Doctor LaMain grinned.

“Dital… It’s good to see you again…Let me see now…I sent you on a mission to kill the king and you failed me”. Dital’s body started to tremble uncontrollably with fear and the Doctor could feel it as he held him.

“I do not like failure and the mission was very important to me and the future of your people” Just then Dital lost control over his body functions.

The Doctor thought for a moment “There is one thing you could do for me”.

“Yes my Master…Anything” Dital’s voice became excited.

The Doctor leaned close to Dital’s ear. “Here’s what I want you to do”…

© DennisB 2011

Peach and Betty worked most of that night preparing food and serving it to the brave defenders of Castle Silverwing.

Betty listened to the tails of courage and battlefield heroics of these brave Silverwing defenders. A quick bite to eat and “back to the task at hand” is what they called it.

Betty could see that most were getting tired but still went back out the door after a little food, water, and moment of rest.

Broken and cut body panels and missing parts, bent and twisted metal, a sign of battle and of honor to those that Betty served food to. They all had great love and respect for one another. A brotherhood sheared only by those that lived through battle for life and death.
Little Betty’s desire to become a Silverwing fighter, a solider, the desire grew with every tail of battle.

“I’ll be a great worrier someday” she told herself as she cleared and cleaned the table tops. Then Betty carried the last load of plates and cups through the swinging doors that separated the kitchen from dining area and looked over at Peach washing and drying the plates.

“Last load” Peach asked as she looked over at little Betty as she came thought the doors?

“Yes, all have gone back to the battle” Betty answered.

“Looks like our helping this night, is done…Let’s go and get some rest now. A short nap would do me a world of good”.

The eastern sky was just starting to lighten when Peach and Betty stepped out of the kitchen door and into the cool morning air.

Small battles still raged in the courtyards and the sounds of metal weapons being thrown against each other could still be heard as Betty and Peach headed for the main castle door.

© DennisB 2011

Dionysus entered the Kings great hall. All that knew him respected his leadership and cunning prowess with the weapons at his disposal.

“Captain of my Royal Guards…please come forward and report” the King requested as Dionysus rolled toward the thrown.

Dionysus bowed deeply before his King “Your Highness, battles still rage here and there in the courtyards, fierce are these creatures in battle. We ARE getting the upper hand in this terrible and costly attempted of an invasion of our home. We need at lest one of your Royal Wizards in the fight to give us an advantage over these beasts”.

“Done” the King glanced over at Logan and the Kings Royal wizard nodded.

Dionysus then glanced over at the dark corners in the Kings Thrown Room.

“Dionysus…What is troubling you” the King asked with concern in his voice?

“Your Highness, I saw something enter the main castle doors just minuets ago. It created a diversion to get the guards away from their post and then it entered when the guards were distracted.

“A shadow of a creature. It moved like flowing water. Up the ramp and through the doors before I had a chance to stop it.” Dionysus looked at the floor. “I was just to fare away from it” he looked back up at the King.

“We need to find this creature at once” The King announced in a loud voice.

“Max, you are now assigned to the castle guards…You must find this creature and destroy it” the King ordered.

“Yes, Your Highness" Max bowed to the King.

© DennisB 2011