The Shadow Rider of Morgat

Leah watched the antelope bound across the snowy hills of Idaho. Slowly, she raised a hand to the frost-covered window pane of her apartment.

The graceful animals seemed so free and wild as they swooped across the plains.

“What are you doing?” asked her father from the doorway.

She looked down at the rusted kitchen sink. “Nothing.”

Her father smiled faintly. On his hollowed-out face, the expression made her want to cry. Her father limped over to the sink, leaning heavily against his dark wood walking stick. “The antelope are truly beautiful, aren’t they?”

Leah looked away, trying to push the growing pallor of his skin or the increasingly haunted look his eyes held.

But there was no denying that her father was getting sicker. Since he’d had to quit his job the year before, his health had been on a rapid decline. And the doctors had no idea what was wrong with him.

“Leah, have I ever told you about the Shadow Riders?”

”Sit down, father, before you tire yourself out.” she said hurriedly.

Reluctantly, her father sat down in their ancient wooden chair. “Now, the Shadow Riders... They were the bravest warriors in all the land of Morgat, clever and dangerou. It was their job to deliver messages and help the people of the land who were in need. And they are said to be more courageous than any other to ever walk the earth.”

Leah set a piece of toast on a plate for her father, then turned and started gathering up her worn hand-me-down textbooks from off the unwashed counter. “Sorry dad, I’ve got to get to school. I’ll see you tonight, hopefully before midnight.”

And with that, she took off across their cluttered trailer house, grabbing her threadbare coat and homemade backpack as she went.

When she stepped outside, she was greeted by a fancy-looking red car parked outside her house.

Inwardly, she groaned as the window rolled down to reveal the hottest boy in her school and a blomd cheerleader who could only be Adaline Hartsworth.

“Hey sweetheart, having a bad day?” she called with mock sweetness.

Leah pushed a curl of unruly dark hair out of her face. “Don’t you have anything better to do except bother me?”

“Oh honey, I just want to be friends.” poured the cheerleader, making her boyfriend laugh.

Leah ignored then both and stalked off towards school, trying not to shiver under her too-thin coat. Unfortunately, Adeline wasn’t done.

“I heard your father was still laying around, and that maybe he didn’t have long to live.”

Leah gritted her teeth against the bully’s words. She’d learned years before to never let people know that they got to her. But it was so hard when all she wanted to do was deck the idiot.

“It really is such a shame that your mother ran away and left you, isn’t it.” continued Adaline casually.

Finally, Leah couldn’t take it any more. She whirled around, her dark eyes glowing with fury. “She didn’t leave us because she wanted to.”

”Did your daddy tell you that?” asked the blond sarcastically. “Because he probably just didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Leah’s fingers tightened into fists. For a moment, all of her senses sharpened miraculously to the point that she could hear the cheerleader’s heartbeat, mingled with the roaring thrum of a car engine. A tear of anger slipped down her cheek, making the bully laugh harder.

And that was when something came whistling through the sky in a flare of golden light, crashing somewhere in the wild hills behind her home.

“If you’d excuse me, I need to go grab something.” growled Leah coldly, turning on her heels and jogging toward the trailer house, her tangled dark hair blowing behind her.

When she ducked back into the house, she was greeted by the sight of her father facing a bodybuilder dressed in white and gold armor.

Their entire living room was in ruins. Her father’s favorite chair lay smashed to pieces. The piece of toast she’d made for him lay discarded in a corner.

“Alderlane, you’re finished!” said the man in an eerily emotionless voice.

In response, her father swung his walking stick in an arc, sending a burst of forest-green light rocketing through the air.

His attacker made a strange sign with his hands, deflecting the burst of light easily.

Leah stared in disbelief at her father. She had no idea what was going on, but she did know that her father wasn't going to be able to keep doing it for long. Already sweat beaded his forehead, dripping down into his eyes.

Then he looked up and saw his daughter standing in the doorway.

At the same time, his attacker caught sight of her. When the man looked at her, she realized his eyes were milky white, and his teeth, sharp and pointed like some kind of cat. A forked young slipped out of his mouth, making her freeze in fear.

“Don’t move, Leah!” shouted her father, frantically pulling something out of his pocket. She realized that it was a single gold coin. Quickly he tossed it into the air, shouting something that sounded like a different language. The coin dissolved into the air, flashing brightly as it vanished. The creature whipped around to face him, growling in anger.

“You’ll regret that.”

And that was when the doorbell rang loudly.

“Who the heck is that?” demanded her father softly.

But before Leah could answer, the door opened to reveal the ever-idiotic Adalian. “Hey Leah, did you get your....” she trailed off when she saw the white-eyed man.

The man tasted the air with his forked tongue. “Human...” He dropped down to all fours, making a strange chirping sound.

Her father shouted something, waving his walking stick. Something bright red came streaking through the air, slamming into the creature. Much to Leah’s shock and horror, the thing dissolved into a pile of dust, leaving behind a white-and-gold shield.

“I think you’d better come inside, both of you. I’ve got a lot to explain, haven’t I.”

And that was when a black blur swooped down from the skies, landing lightly in their tiny yard. Only then did Leah realize that it was a black pegasus with a tall rider wearing a mask and long, fluttering cloak. Leah’s heart leaped up into her throat. The rider had to been about 17 or 18 with dark hair that hung to his shoulders. At his waist, an assortment of weapons hung. She caught sight of two swords, a dagger and a bow (the bow was left with his mount.)

When approached them, he dropped into a low bowLeah watched the antelope bound across the snowy hills of Idaho. Slowly, she raised a hand to the frost-covered window pane of her apartment.

The antelope seemed so free and wild as they swooped across the plains.

“What are you doing?” asked her father from the doorway.

She looked down at the rusted kitchen sink. “Nothing.”

Leah looked away, trying to push the growing pallor of his skin or the increasingly haunted look his eyes held.

“Leah, have I ever told you about the Shadow Runners?”

”Sit down, father, before you tire yourself out.” she said hurriedly.

Reluctantly, her father sat down in their ancient wooden chair. “Now, the Shadow Runners...”