The Coming From the Shadows Series
Coming From the Shadows: Lydia
Connected Stories:
- T.I.C: The Crete Disaster – Surviving the Imperium: Morgan’s Escape and Redemption
- Coming From the Shadows T.I.C: Aftermath – Dreadnought and Betrayal: The War Against the Imperium
- Thomas’ Love – Santorini Secrets: Passion and Pain in 1911
The Imperium Chronicles: The Scars of Crete
Back Ground:
Since Ancient Times the Imperium operated in the shadows, influencing King’s and Queen’s – their reach to the Far East via the Persian Empire beneath the rule of Achaemenes Dynasty, from Ancient Greek City-States, to the eventual Roman Empire – these only served a purpose during the Ancient World, but, by the 19th Century, using the modern Empires, the Imperium’s reach exploded into a Global Influence – using the far-reach of the British Empire, they had secured unquestionable control from the darkened shadows – using the Empire on which the Sun Never set as their springboard, they could reach lands never accessible before; allowing for the individual Cultists that the Imperium was created by – being the Uniting Voice – these Cultist Groups began to pursue their goals on a Global Scale while the Imperium’s influence controlled the Modern Empire’s.
One of these Cult’s; the Cult of the Minotaur, a reformed Small Cultist Group from England during the 1640’s – Led by Alfred Smythe, would become one of the more powerful voices within the Imperium by the 187s0’s beneath its leader; George Smythe; a descendant of Alfred Smythe – a Brutal Man who used his Business Empire and Cultists to seek not just his own interests, but tightened his grip in his homeland, influencing the Criminal Underworld, dictating Smaller Cultists movements, and despite not being the Elected Leader – George Smythe had effective control over the Imperium itself by 1892 – but all this crumbled in 1905 – the Rebellion by his own son in response to George’s callousness and decision to mark out one of his own children as a sacrificial lamb; Lydia – Following 1905, George’s influence waned, and desperately seeking to reestablish control of a declining situation, he finally got something he needed.
The Imperium’s original purpose; to find and free an Ancient Celestial Being that they worshiped; a Creature of Dark Power; George believed he finally had the information needed to track its Ancient Prison – in Crete, his only opposition became his Estranged Wife, their twin daughters; Elizabeth and Lydia along with Cathryn’s adopted daughter; Norina and her two allies; a Serbian ex-soldier named; Damir and a Manchurian named; Xian.
The group would be held at the Minotaur’s Camp within the Mountains of Crete to the South of Heraklion – a plan had been formed by Cathryn, she would stop George, her two newest allies; British Soldiers; Thomas Davidson and Miquel sought out the support of their old regiment under the command of Wilson, they would provide the much needed support – but, unknown to everyone; William was far ahead of them.
Using a Privately operated Dreadnought; William organised a surprise attack – sacrificing his Step-Mother and two younger sisters; the attack from the Port of Heraklion was swift and brutal; the large guns bombarded the mountainous region, destroying the Cultists gathered and sending them into a retreat, in the crossfire and chaos that erupted; British soldiers arrived to find Xian had been killed, and deep inside the mountainous cave; Lydia witnessed the supposed death of her mother by William after he forced her to fall not a newly made crater after Cathryn refused to let George fall to his death.
Now; the survivors of Cathryn’s group seek safety in the event William strikes again or the Cultist try to regather for revenge.
Introduction:
The Cretan winds howled a mournful dirge; echoing despair across the land, it clung to the survivors like an oppressive shroud.
It was the early hours of the 18th of December and what had once been a cohesive group under Cathryn Langdon had broken down; two of their group had been lost, lives brutally extinguished during the attack within the mountain.
Lydia Langdon, grief-stricken over hr mothers death had vanished into the night, the British soldier; Thomas had also disappeared, he had gone to follow Lydia, make sure she was not alone in her most desperate moment.
It left a gaping hole with the group; morale was very low amongst the remaining members; Elizabeth, Damir, Norina and the Kenyan-Born British solider; Miquel.
Chapter 1:
19th of December, 1911 A.D.
Gazi, Crete
The pre-dawn streets were still dark; oppressively so within Gazi; a suburb clinging to the edge of Heraklion.
The group; faces etched with exhaustion, their eyes haunted by the horrors they had witnessed, they were seeking refuge, a temporary sanctuary where they could regroup, reorganise; without Lydia or their mother; Elizabeth, the newest to the group found herself leading them, she had entered into waters she had never been before.
Miquel could see the added pressure to Elizabeth as she brushed her long blonde hair back, rubbing her icy-blue eyes – she was so different from her younger twin sister; Lydia – Lydia shared her mothers traits, long Raven-Dark Hair with Silvery Grey eyes – and the personalities were even more different, while Lydia was more reserved, more disciplined – Elizabeth could be volatile – she was still learning to adapt to things since escaping her father in 1908 – unlike Lydia who had escaped their father in 1905.
Miquel himself though; usually jovial now wore a grim mask over his face, he felt the weight of everything that had happened; felt pity for what had happened to the twin siblings and Norina; Norina who had been adopted by Cathryn after losing her entire family in 1906 – though, Norina had not yet seemed to have processed everything, or, that was how it seemed to Miquel so far.
As they finally reached somewhere they could rest; Miquel noticed the approach of one of the British soldiers he worked alongside during his service; he didn’t remember seeing him with Wilson during the ambush on the mountain, so, he suspected Wilson was the reason for that “Miquel” he called out as he reached the group
“John” Miquel answered, a surprise tone present
“Glad to see you made it; I got word from Wilson to organise an escape for you and your group” he told him, gesturing back the direction he came from “Go to the Port at Heraklion, there is a boat waiting to get you out of here”
Miquel nodded “Thank you my friend” he said; he then noticed the approach of Wilson, quickly saluting the man as he approached “Sir”
“I don’t see Thomas with you” Wilson commented, his gaze drifting over the group before returning to Miquel
“Uh.., No, Sir” Miquel answered uncertain “I believe he went with Lydia; she was in a pretty bad way”
Wilson slowly nodded as he shifted his gaze towards Elizabeth a moment, then towards Norina; she shared a twin-like appearance to Lydia; he remembered Norina from the first encounter Wilson and his regiment had with Cathryn and her group in the Himalayan Mountains in 1907, he let out a deep sigh as he returned his gaze to Miquel
“It might be best to wait until we can reach Thommy” Miquel suggested; Wilson simply nodded before gesturing
“Go on” Wilson said with a slight smile “We still have a few things do here before we can leave; reach safety Miquel, keep them safe”
It wouldn’t be long following the exchange the small group would finally leave Crete; the waves crashed against the small boat as the sailed from one island to another; seeking refuge towards a smaller island to the north; the passage felt like an eternity with the memories and emotions still reeling from the events in Crete.
Chapter 2:
Kapsali, Kythira
25th of December, 1911 A.D.
Arriving to the safety of a coastal village of Kapsali – a deceptive tranquillity provided a sense of ease, though, the stress and frustration still simmered beneath the surface, it was here the group finally found refuge at one of their safehouses.
A crumbling stone structure that overlooked the Aegean Sea, reeking of damp earth and neglect; a far cry from some of the opulent safehouses of other places they had visited, but, it at least offered a modicum of security.
The disconnect between the group had grown exponentially; Elizabeth herself grew more and more frustrated, angry and hateful – it got to the point Norina needed to escape, she tended to be more fearful of Elizabeth, from past interactions she could always fall into the safety net offered by Cathryn or Lydia; they never treated her like an outsider – they had embraced Norina immediately after they had rescued her from the Fiorito Vineyard in Lombardy after her family had been killed by the Italian Cult of the Wolf, now though; she was with Elizabeth, and Elizabeth had a history of pointing out Norina’s lack of relation to them, even in spite of Cathryn explicitly stating Norina was just as much her daughter as Elizabeth and Lydia, a sentiment Lydia echoed.
Needing to get away; Norina ventured out alone; she wouldn’t be the only one that day; Damir too would also leave, though, unlike Norina, Damir abandoned the group entirely – Norina, she found herself walking along the beach, it felt more peaceful compared to the suffocating confines of the safehouse.
Norina’s long hair whipped around her face as a strong wind blew in from the sea; driven by a desperate need for solitude, she finally found somewhere to be alone; sitting on the sand which clung to her worn boots, the ocean stretched out before her – it was a vast expanse of grey that mirrored the turmoil inside her.
Norina simply sank down onto a smooth, wave-worn rock, the salt air stinging her face.
Lost in her thoughts; she didn’t know how much time ad gone by, not did she even notice as someone approached; only when a hand, slender and pale; gently covered Norina’s – it caused her to flinch, her breath hitching in her throat as she turned sharply – her silvery-grey eyes widen in surprise “Erin?” she breathed, barely audible
Erin Mason; she had once been an American Cultist, they had encountered during 1909 when Cathryn and the group had returned to the Fiorito Vineyard by Norina’s request; the first interaction had been one of fear for Norina – but since then, they developed a bond, a strong bond – Erin’s long black hair framed her delicate angelic-face, it stood in stark contrast of her pale complexion – it created the illusion of an almost ghostly appearance, her emerald green eyes were locked onto Norina’s.
Erin always carried an unsettling intensity; but, for Norina – it had long last that effect, her feelings had lead her far past her original fears.
Without a moment of hesitation; Norina surged forwards; throwing her arms around Erin as she buried her face against her shoulder; the embrace was tight; desperate – Erin could sense the depth of Norina’s grief as she gently wrapped her arms around her “It is alright my Little Dove” Erin murmured; her voice a soothing balm “I am here now”
They settled in the embrace for a few minutes before they pulled back; Erin gently cupping Norina’s face not her hands, her thumbs gently brushing away stray tears “How are you my Little Dove?”
Norina simply choked a sob, she was unable to articulate the maelstrom of emotions that raged inside her; Loss, Fear, Guilt – they were all desperately yearning for a world that was shattered; it was all too much.
Erin could see the turmoil within Norina’s eyes; without another word, stroking Norina’s tears away, she eased her up to her feet; her touch was a silent promise of comfort “Come” she said; her voice barely a whisper, gently taking Norina’s hand and interlocking their fingers; Erin led Norina away.
Chapter 3:
Leading Norina away from the beach; Erin brought her to the modest lodgings Erin had acquired since arriving to the island – a small whitewashed room above a bakery, the scent of fresh bread and cinnamon.
Erin settled Norina down on the worn couch, her movements were deliberate and calming “Stay here Little Dove” she told her softly “I’ll make us something to drink”
Erin disappeared into the small kitchenette; the clinking of cups and a low hum from her voice was a comforting counterpoint for Norina compared to the safehouse, it also kept an uncomfortable silence from settling in – When Erin returned, she carried two steaming mugs, placing one gently into Norina’s hands, its warmth seeping into Norina’s cold fingers as Erin settled beside her “Drink” Erin urged softly
Norina sipped the tea; the sweet, herbal flavour eased her tensions; there was a brief silence before she spoke; her voice just barely audible “The.., the mission to the Amazon…, how did it go?” Norina asked
Erin hesitated a moment, her expression clouding over “It…, was successful…, but, the details will have to wait my Little Dove; right now, you need to focus on you”
As they sat close to one another; a silence set in between them only broken by Erin’s occasionally gentle humming, it was done purposely, seeing it eased Norina; a romantic tension though eased between them, it simply grew stronger as they enjoyed one another’s company “I have missed you Norina” Erin said; her voice low and gentle
It stood out significantly for Norina; she was not use to Erin ever using her name; she always referred to her by a nickname; her eyes settled on Erin as the words simply hung in the air, thick with unspoken emotions; their eyes simply locked, Norina’s eyes reflecting the mix of hope and fear, the pull between them, a current building for years was now undeniable.
Leaning forwards; Erin moved close; her hand reaching out and gently brushing strands of hair from Norina’s face “Can I kiss you?”
Norina’s eyes widened a moment; she couldn’t speak – she could only nod, she felt her heart beat against her chest.
Erin’s lip’s met hers; the kiss between them was tentative at first, but deepened into a passionate expression of longing and need, Norina responded with equal fervour, her arms wrapping around Erin’s neck, pulling her close.
Norina could feel the softness of Erin’s lips; the warmth and inviting feelings that coursed between them as Norina simply lost herself into the moment, never had she felt so strongly about anyone in such a way before – Erin simply made her feel a mixture, of weakness and strength, something she couldn’t describe.
Erin eased Norina backwards until she was laying back against the couch; Erin gently repositioned herself beside her, laying on her side, one arm beneath Norina’s shoulders as Norina now rested her head against her; their eyes locked – Erin slowly moved her hand, despite a moment of awkwardness, she took Norina’s hand intertwining their fingers, their bodies pressed close – Norina rested her head against Erin’s shoulder, Erin could feel the warmth of her breath against her neck.
In Erin’s embrace; Norina felt a sense of safety and peace even when faced with so much loss and uncertainty, Erin provided the safe haven she needed; Norina realised then that what she felt was love.
Norina found refuge in the arms of the woman she loved.
Written By: Westley H.
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