The fall of Lorit Options

[Jac]

This is an expanson of a short story I posted awhile ago. Comments and critiques are welcomed. Thanks in advance.

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Sunlight streamed through the open shutters over Thadius’s face as he lay on the bed. He grunted and threw an arm over his eyes before turning towards the wall. A delicate finger caressed his ear as a soft voice whispered into it, “Thadius, it’s time to get up dear.”

“Bah. They can’t begrudge me a few more minutes sleep, Lorit.”

“Thadius, you need to get up now, dear. You know how the Legion is. If you’re late again…”

Thadius sighed and rolled over to face her. He opened his eyes and smiled as he looked into her brown eyes. He brushed a finger over darkened skin and through her short red hair. “I know, Lorit, I know. It’s just that-“

Lorit silenced him with a finger on his lips. “Shh. Enough of that, Thadius. It’s time for you to get dressed.”

“Yes dear.”

Groaning, he rose from the bed and slowly changed into his uniform. Lorit rose from the bed, her lithe body glowing in the sunlight as she helped buckle him into his cuirass. He turned around and embraced her, tracing a finger down her bare spine. “How did I get so lucky as to find you, Lorit?”

Lorit smiled at him and tousled his short brown hair. “Because you’re so good to me, Thadius. But if you don’t leave soon, that may change.” She poked his chest playfully before bringing his head down for a kiss. He smiled as he kissed her before reluctantly releasing her and strapping on his broadsword. He strapped his shield to his left arm and donned his helmet before opening the door and stepping outside. Lorit donned a robe and stood in the doorway watching him leave until he turned a corner. She closed the door and leaned against it for a few moments before closing the shutters, plunging the house into darkness. She lit a candle and carried it to the bed. She stepped out of her robe and lay on the bed, waiting. After what seemed like hours, she heard the door open and close softly. A figure stood by the bed, seemingly untouched by the light. A cold voice filled the room. “It is almost time, Lorit. Are you ready?”

Her breath caught as she answered, “Yes, yes I am, Reden. How much longer?”

The figure smiled as pale fingers snuffed out the light of the candle. Lorit tensed briefly as she felt the figure climb into bed, but relaxed as heat flooded through her.

[Jac]

1st part of chapter five.

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“Satisfied?”

Byron grunted but didn’t otherwise reply.

“I’m talking to you, Byron. Are you satisfied?”

Byron kept walking without a glance back.

Thadius glared at Byron’s back and ran to catch up with him. “Staying quiet doesn’t change anything, Byron. Four children are missing and in the same manner. You can’t blame them all on Colonel Warlan; he didn’t even know the other families.”

Byron shrugged, but didn’t reply.

Thadius stared at him but said nothing more as the two men marched back to the fort. Once there, Byron entered without a word or glance at anybody and headed straight for his desk. Thadius nodded to a few of the guards on duty before sitting at his desk. He removed his notes and started to compare them. His brow furrowed as he discerned the pattern taking shape between the kidnappings. His thoughts were interrupted by a cough. He looked up sharply into the gaze of General Dagon. Thadius sprang to his feet and snapped a quick salute the general returned grimly. Byron followed more slowly but gave a crisp salute as well. The general waved them both to stand at ease before speaking, “What have you uncovered?” Thadius stole a glance at Byron who stared back levelly before replying, “Sir, all four of the missing children are between the ages of five and six, were healthy and were male. The abductions took place roughly a month apart and followed a similar course. The family members mentioned feeling a cold presence in their house, unable to move or cry out. When they were freed, they found their children missing with no traces of where they went. None of the families knew each other and the initial investigators found no evidence of forced entry, nor signs of how the children were spirited away: there were no markings on any of the window sills, the doors were securely locked and showed no signs of forced entry, nor were there any track marks outside of the house. One family has three children: two boys ages eleven and five and a girl age three. The boys slept in the same room, but only the younger boy was taken. The older boy said that the night his brother disappeared, he felt a cold presence in the room but he was paralyzed and couldn’t see. The presence lingered over him and he thought he could hear whispering in a strange language he couldn’t understand. When the presence left, he was able to move and quickly went to his brother’s bed, only to find it empty. The sheets lay as if someone was underneath them, but nobody was there. The family called the watch who did a thorough investigation but found nothing. I suggest we increase the nightly patrols, sir. Maybe we can find out whom or what is doing this.”

General Dagon frowned as he digested this news. He nodded briefly and looked at both men in turn. “I shall take your suggestions into consideration. The last thing we need are families with young boys panicking because they’re worried they will loose their sons. For now, I want you both to stay on top of any missing child cases and do thorough investigations of each. You are a team and I except you to act as such. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir” they replied in unison.

“Good. Now go home and get some rest, you both have busy days tomorrow.”

Byron saluted the general and walked out of the building, not waiting for a response from Thadius. Thadius gathered up his notes and walked home in silence. He smiled as he saw the familiar lights in the distance, his heart becoming lighter as warm thoughts of Lorit coursed through his mind.