Then, an arrow wheezed through the air and cut the hanging ropes on Elise and the first witch. Their bodies released onto the ground consecutively. In a rush, Isabelle strode towards the platform, unsheathed a dagger and crouched before the first witch. She cut the bounds on her neck first then the ones on her wrists.
Breath entered the witch as she focused on her savior. "I…Isa…Isabelle," she breathed out.
"Joan. Are you fine?" Isabelle asked, cradling her in her arms.
"Save…her…" Joan pointed over to Elise lying on the ground.
Isabelle followed her finger and gulped. "But she's…"
She squeezed her arm the best she could. "Save her…"
She carefully laid Joan down and moved towards Elise's body and cut the ropes on her neck and wrists. She then rebound back to Joan and held her up. "It's done. Can you stand?" she asked, sheathing her dagger back.
She nodded as she stood carefully up with Isabelle's help. "Your brother?"
"He's at the back playing," she answered in a hurried voice. "We have to move before—" Her attention was placed above her, like something was sparkling in the sky.
The hair on William's skin stood. Cool air burdened their surroundings, like the season of fall suddenly shifted to winter. And at the center of the sky, a dark cloud appeared from nowhere, fanned down to the ground and hit it with a splat. And in seconds the tendrils of the black smoke retreated into its center and began to show shape. It spun on itself around and around until it grew bigger, towering about six feet tall and likened itself to the shape of a man. A man made of complete black matter without the skin, the muscles, the face and anything else human.
It lifted its hands and stared at it with where his eyes would probably be if it were present. Open and close, open and close—its fists kept repeating it, trying to feel its limbs. Then, the front of its head formed curves, spaces, lines and depth. And in a second, the shadow had a face and it turned to the nearest soldier and grinned, showing black fangs. It extended its arm forward and it passed right through the frozen soldier's chest. No blood or wound was visible; it seemed as if the hand passed through a surface of water. Specs of white light then emerged from the chest of the unknowing soldier and ran through the hand and arms of the shadow. And in one bright flash, the soldier's eyes lost focus and he dropped dead on the ground as the shadow released its hold on him.
The shadow laughed, pleased by its massacre. It attended to the next human and began its feast yet again.
With Joan's arm by her shoulders, Isabelle helped her walk away, taking slow soundless steps. "Come on Joan while it's still busy," she huffed.
"I knew God was on my side. He has sent me you," exulted Joan.
"You could thank your God later when we get the—" As they curved to the corner of the platform, another shadow stood by their front.
It tilted its head to the side, wondering what the two were. And then, it grinned and lunged at them. An arrow flew through the shadow from the side and then it burst into ashes.
Paolo stood a couple of feet away on a longbow stance. "That was a lousy job Isabelle. It almost had you." He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"It would be a lousy job, if you don't help us," shouted Isabelle.
"Oh rightio." He moved towards them but stopped abruptly.
Dark tendrils of clouds erupted from the pores of the grassy lands and swiveled in front of Paolo and formed into a man, another shadow. Its face formed, smiled devilishly and reached for him.
Paolo jumped back and landed on his feet and then knelt on one knee. "Sorry I only date ladies with an actual face." Loading an arrow from his back, he stretched his bow and fired. The arrow hit the shadow's core and burst into ashes.
"Paolo," shouted Isabelle. "Some help here."
He aimed to the shadow emerging from the ground near Joan and shot it at the arm, maiming it. He followed through with another one on the chest and killed it. "You're going to have to come to me. They're coming in too fast." He focused on another shadow as it reformed from thin air on his right and vanquished it.
"What in blazes did Mikael do? Call on the whole horde?" Isabelle pulled on Joan's other arm tighter around her shoulders and moved forward.
Around the town's plaza, in almost every corner, in almost every large spacious area, clouds gathered and shadows emerged from the air, earth and mud. They veered their hungry black stares over the unknowing people frozen in time. There were already five victims since the first had shown, and the number was growing.
Hiding amongst the crowd, crouching low, William watched the massacre in awe. He watched a man's soul leave his body through his nostrils and mouth, an old lady's life slip past her through her leg down to a shadow's mouth, and a young boy's body hurled to a wall after being emptied. It was a sight that somehow William felt fascinated about like it was one of the shows the travelling performers did. But his admiration abruptly halted when a shadow purposely strode over where Elise was lying.
His head cocked from left to right. When he found a sword of the dead soldier lying on the ground, he immediately found his strength back and crossed the distance, throwing caution to the wind.