Republic Of The Shadow Walkers - Naomi's perspective

As I opened the book, the beady eyes of the parrot stared at me from the top of the shelf across from me.

“Hey, little guy.” I smiled. Even though I knew it was silly to talk to a bird, it cheered me up a little.

It also reminded me of Lauren, one of my deceased siblings. She had loved birds up until the moment she disappeared.

I shook my head when sad memories started to flash in my head.

The entire family, all in one place, for, unknown to us at the time, the very last time.

Todd Crather studying me with a confused expression, wondering who I was.

Mother missing, Father devastated.

Lauren, filled with fear for her newborn daughter.

No, no. Shut up. I need to read, darnit!

I skimmed over the small print at the beginning of the chapter, and started to read.

ASHKILL

The Ashkill family consisted of eight members: Benjamin, Victory, Alyssa, Lauren, Bethany, Timothy, Mitchell, and Naomi.

Benjamin and Victory were the father and mother of the six children, three of whom would take on the responsibility of ruling The Republic Of The Shadow Walkers later on in their lives.

Victory was in a position of importance within Radish Land, however, she kept her family secret, in order to keep them from having to eat the radishes that Crather fed to everyone. [See: CRATHER] She didn't eat any either, but she acted like she had in order to stay alive.

But that all changed when one day, Todd Crather found out about the family, and that they hadn't eaten the radishes and had lived in secret for several years. He had Victory killed, but she did not tell him of the family's whereabouts.

Your fault, your fault, your fault… The familiar reminder prodded me again. I bit my lip and kept reading, even though I knew very well that the voice was right.

It was my fault.

Even though they had been saved for the time being, Benjamin, torn with grief and sorrow because of Victory's death, turned himself over, and was turned into one of the Radish Police.

What happened to the six children directly afterwards is unknown. However, we do know that soon after, Alyssa, the oldest, attempted to care for the other five with her job as a nurse, but was discovered to be one of the Ashkill family members, and was executed.

Down the line, Lauren and her husband gave birth to the only child that has ever been born from the siblings. Her daughter, Sunny, is thought to have died along with them both after they were caught during their escape with the other four siblings from Radish Land.

Bethany, Timothy, and Mitchell managed to escape, along with the youngest, Naomi, and fled to Navire, where they made a living for themselves. Soon after Naomi turned twenty, she met Izzie, who had recently inherited the country, and became her best friend. Izzie had a part in helping to take care of the siblings, since she helped Naomi, and in doing so, her siblings as well.

However, five years after that, Mitchell was hit by a car and died from his injuries two days before Radish Land created the Radish Nations. Many believe that he was purposefully murdered because of Todd Crather and his hatred for their family because of what Victory managed to do for so long, but it is possible that it was merely a coincidence.

After Radish Land's defeat, Naomi took on the responsibility of ruling Radish Land, which she renamed The Republic Of The Shadow Walkers, and her remaining two siblings, Timothy and Bethany, assisted and accompanied her. As they have a true sibling bond, many believe them to stay true to one another and rule the Republic without causing a civil war among themselves in the future.

Lauren, her husband Nixon, and her daughter Sunny are believed to be dead, even though no one ever saw them die, for they had been dragged into the Tunnels Of Revenge, and were never seen again. No person who was taken into the Tunnels to be disposed of came out, and the Tunnels still lie underneath the cities of the land that was once Radish Land. However, none of the few people who know of the Tunnels and the location of the entrance dare to venture into the Tunnels, for it is said that the ghost of Todd Crather haunts them, as well as the ghosts of the Radish Police that served him.

The ones who know of the Tunnels are not survivors, but people who betrayed others and brought them there to gain Crather's favour. The remaining Ashkills are the only ones who survived being turned over to the Radish Police and Crather himself, at least, the only ones that are known.

I shivered as I remembered the Radish Police I had encountered when I had followed my father to one of their houses. The image of them always made me cringe or flinch, since I couldn't help but think of how it hurt to have an apron nailed on your collarbone like that, or to have a steel bar shoved through your skull.

Dark had been turned into one of the Radish Police for the sake of information, which was why he had so many scars.

Glancing up at the parrot, who was watching me, I wondered if I was the only one in the band of my friends - former friends, I reminded myself reluctantly - who had no outward effects on my own body from the war with Radish Land.

Mentally, yes. Other than that, I was unscarred.

Meanwhile, Bethany had many scars, most of which came from battling half a battalion of Radish Police during our escape from Radish Land. Now, eleven years later, I was certain she could do it with nearly no scars inflicted if she did it again.

Or maybe even an entire battalion.

That train of thought led me to flashes of the past, things that had happened so long ago.

Fifteen years ago...

“Where is Mother?!” I asked Lauren frantically.

“She's at work, remember? But we have to get her back somehow, or Emily is going to die…” She looked at Tim, “I'm sorry, but your fiance won't be alive to get married to you in a few months…”

Tim's face fell, and I could tell he was trying not to cry. He and Emily both looked absolutely devastated.

Tears made their way out of my eyes. Even though I was only fifteen, I knew I could do something, something to help Emily.

I needed to find Mother, since she was the only one who knew how to take care of a sick person and the only one who could go out to get medicine.

Smiling to myself, I proclaimed, “I'm going to find her. Nobody knows who I am, right?”

“Naomi, NO-”

Lauren's voice was cut off as I raced out the door, the one I had never opened myself.

I nearly stopped in my tracks when I ran up the secret staircase that apparently led to the outside world. The city was so BIG.

Since I had seen Mother go to her work occasionally, I knew which direction to go in. However, I knew that I wouldn't know where to go after that, but Emily's life depended on me getting to Mother, since she wouldn't be back home for another week.

The buildings of the city that Mother called Revengo were absolutely enormous, in my opinion, and there was almost no one on the streets.

Probably because the sun was setting and it was starting to get dark. Revengo, Mother had told me, was named after the word Revenge, for obvious reasons.

I skidded to a stop at the end of the street, and my eyes darted everywhere, looking for anywhere Mother could be.

Glancing at the sidewalk, I noticed two people walking, and when I looked again, I realized Mother was one of them.

Todd was the other.

Even though I was scared of Todd, my fear for Emily's health was stronger, and I raced towards them. Todd was talking to my mother, and he barely glanced at me at first. However, his gaze whipped back to me, and he studied me closer.

As a citizen walked by, I realized that they had silver, wrinkled lips and black stuff around their glowing green eyes. They were also terribly thin.

I looked at Mother, and I realized that she was disguising as someone who had eaten a radish. Swallowing my fear, I said, “Mother! Emily's-”

“Wait, Mother?” Todd growled deep in his throat.

I clapped my hands over my mouth, realizing I'd said too much.

Todd studied me with a confused expression, wondering where I had come from. I cowered under his gaze, and I slowly started to back away.

“Victory, do you mind explaining why this little girl - who hasn't eaten a radish - claims to be your daughter?” He asked slowly, taking out a gun.

Mother, staring down at the gun, sighed. “Yes, I-I have a family that never ate the radishes.”

Todd grabbed her by the neck, ignoring my scream of fear. As he held the gun to her head, he demanded, “Where are the others?”

I stared into Mother's eyes with fear, and she met my gaze.

“I'm not going to tell you, Not-So-Supreme Radish.” She narrowed her eyes.

His eyes widened, and then narrowed again. “Oh, you'll pay for that.”

I took a step back, torn between wanting to help Mother and wanting to escape while I still could.

A gunshot rang in my ears as Mother fell to the ground, and I screamed again as I rushed to her side.

A bullet hole was in her stomach, and she smiled sadly as she said her last words to me. “Naomi… Go. Run away from Crather, and don't look back.” She breathed heavily after uttering those words, but continued. “Everything will be okay in the end, sweetie, I promise. I'll be… Watching you… From above… Make… Me… Proud.”

Blood trickled out of her mouth, and her head fell limp to the stones of the street.

“I will, Mother. I will…” I bit my lip, trying not to let out my tears in front of Todd.

I looked up again to see the end of a gun, and I froze.

“So, Naomi. How many others are there?” Todd's voice asked.

“Five hundred and fifty-seven.” I rolled my eyes. “Do you really think Imma tell you?”

He smirked. “I'll give you a head start on running away if you tell me how many people there are in your family, and how many females and males.”

So, I'm REVEALING them to SAVE them… Sounds backwards. But he won't know their names.

“I have a father, two brothers, and three sisters. One of my sisters has a husband and a daughter, and one of my brothers has a dying girlfriend. Can I go now?” I growled.

He lowered the gun. “You have thirty seconds.”

I didn't need to be told twice; I ran even faster than I ever imagined I could.

Little did I know that Mother was only the first to die, and there would be many, many more deaths of my loved ones in the next ten years.

~~~~~~

Laurel's perspective

I clutched the hand of Rose, one of my little sisters. She was on her deathbed, I knew, but I had been hoping that she'd live to see another day.

Unfortunately, that hope was shattered as soon as her eyes shut for the last time. Her precious, innocent smile faded away for the last time, and I missed it already.

Tears threatened to show themselves, and they already were showing themselves in my other sister Ruby. Ruby and Rose were twins, and my only other siblings.

I had no other relative that I knew of, sort of like Naomi did, except that both of her siblings were strong and skilled and could probably survive the war, especially Bethany. Unlike her, my sisters were delicate, and traumatized from the day Dad disappeared for no reason at all. Complete opposite.

Ruby was sitting next to me, sobbing her eyes out. I wondered whether I should be that much in despair, but Ruby was younger and hadn't experienced loss as much as I had.

And she was Rose's twin, after all.

Hopefully she doesn't fall into a state of depression.

I stroked her smooth golden brown hair, wondering how I was going to get back to where I needed to be in order to help Naomi. The car that I owned had been destroyed in the bombings of Langdale, and I had nothing else. Currently, we were in the city of Valondei, which was where most of the people from Langdale went.

(Pronounced Val-on-day.)

I was certain she wasn't in Valondei, since the most likely contenders of her location were Sonraeria and Obsidaglen. Sonraeria was where the NightWalkers’ base was, and Obsidaglen was a city that wasn't very big compared to Sonraeria or Langdale, and would be a great place to stay under cover from assassins, since the Ashkills were hardly ever seen there and nobody would ever send an assassin to someplace they never went.

(Pronounced Ohb-sid-uh-glen.)

Bethany was smart; I knew the trio very well, and even though Bethany nearly never had to use her strategy brains on a daily basis, I knew she had them.

Smiling to myself, I let myself have a little pride in my talent of being able to read people. With most people, I could tell if they were lying or not, or whether they were hiding something, or what they were feeling. I had always wanted to be a therapist, and even though I never actually accomplished that, I still had the ability to empathize and really read people well.

That was how I was so good at telling when Naomi was hiding something. The look in her eyes, the nervous smile, the wringing of her fingers… They all pointed to the fact that she was not telling me something.

I wondered when she was going to stop trying to hide things from me every now and then. Tim always said that I was the most observant person they had ever met, and the girls always agreed.

Ruby, still crying, asked, “How are you going to get back to Naomi?”

“I-I don't know. I'll find a way, and then you'll stay close to me as well, okay?”

As her sobs started to quiet down, I thought:

Naomi, I'll be there soon. Don't worry about me.

~~~~~~

Bethany's perspective

“Don't throw the bigger knives at the furthest targets, nitwit. The smaller ones are lighter, so they'll travel further and with more accuracy. Instead, throw the big ones at the targets that are closer.” I instructed, pulling a dagger out of a target.

“Okay, that makes sense.” Glade nodded, helping take the daggers out of the targets.

“Otherwise, good job.” I handed her the daggers I had collected. Then, I exited the room in which people practiced with throwing knives and daggers. Throwing knives were actually quite popular, since they were small, easy to carry, and easy to hide. And once you mastered them, you could be quite formidable.

Which was one of the reasons why everyone was scared of me. I could easily be hiding throwing knives, since I seemed like the type, and I was also quite skilled with them. That alone was enough to make most people cautious about how they treated you.

But, add on the fact that I had been around weapons since I first started walking, and that I started training with them since I was a mere seven years old, the fact that I basically radiated danger and intimidation, along with the fact that I could be considered partially insane and that I was probably a huge threat to everyone of high importance, and literally everyone respected you, feared you, or both.

Usually it was both.

A lot of people had seen me in combat, since I was quite active on the front lines and I liked to challenge enemies in public when I could, to show off my dangerous skills and to make sure nobody dared to try and hurt my siblings. None of the people who HAD dared to try and kill one or both of them never escaped for long, and I was proud of that. I wanted to keep my reputation for being dangerous, formidable, and unpredictable.

If that's what I have to do to fulfill my promise to Mother, I'll do it, I smiled to myself. Being Feared was better than being fearful any day.

“Hey Beth.”

I whirled around, glaring just in case, and realized it was my friend and spy, Deathbringer.

“Did I catch you at a bad time…? I mean, everyone knows not to make you mad, but this is important.” I could sense his wariness.

“No, it's fine.” I rolled my eyes. “What is it?”

“We should go to your office.” He glanced over my shoulder. “This is something I want to tell you, and you alone.”

I nodded, and glared at someone as I headed towards the doors of the office, making them stop out of fear to let me pass through their path. Deathbringer entered right after me, and shut the door.

“So, you won't be happy about this.” He sighed.

“Just tell me!” I growled, making him jump back a little. Nobody is exempt from the fear of me, I thought, amused.

“W-we have a spy. I heard them reporting to someone named Scarlett, and they were talking about abducting Naomi in order to take back the country or something.”

Who DARES to even THINK of taking my sister away from me?! I thought, infuriated.

“Who was it?” I said in a low voice. “I am going to kill them myself, after a little bit of interrogation.”

“Her name was Annalise, I believe.” Deathbringer’s eyes darkened.

I cracked my knuckles.

Throwing open the doors, everyone turned to look at me as I death-glared around the base, searching for the traitor. I knew everyone by name and by sight in the NightWalkers, so I didn't have trouble locating her. As I started to storm in her direction, everyone who was in my path hurriedly got out of the way.

I didn't blame them, because I was definitely not in the mood to walk around people instead of going straight.

Annalise attempted to get out of my way, but I snatched her wrist and started to drag her back to the office, and she looked absolutely terrified. Again, I didn't blame her. Nobody who had betrayed the NightWalkers lived to see the next sunrise.

And everyone knew that because in the few times that it had happened, I announced their death publicly in the base as a warning for anyone who may have been thinking about it.

“Annalise has been accused of being a traitor to the Republic.” I turned and looked sternly around the room at everyone. “If anyone knows anything about this, I ask you to report to me at once. And if she is found guilty, she will be… disposed of. You know what I mean.”

Silence reigned in the training room as I stormed into the office and threw Annalise on the floor. Deathbringer sat down on a chair on the other side of the room as I unsheathed a throwing knife, which was perfect for causing small but painful wounds when you used them like normal knives. However, this one had a poisoned blade, so it would hurt even more than normal.

Annalise didn't get up, but sat up and stared at the knife. “So... Annalise,” I smirked a little, “Cooperate with us, and you won't have a painful time in here.”

She didn't answer, but only set her jaw determinedly.

Deathbringer was watching me from the chair, and his gaze fell upon Annalise as he asked, “Who exactly were you talking to on the phone less than an hour ago?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, how do you know that? Is Bethany sending people to spy on everyone?” She narrowed her eyes at me.

“Well, we know that you did it, since you basically confirmed that it happened.” Deathbringer smiled triumphantly as Annalise seemed to realize her mistake. “So who exactly is this “Scarlett”?”

Aha, I thought. She's definitely up to something. Nice, Deathbringer.

When she didn't answer, I held up the knife. “Do I need to use this?”

She gulped, and I had barely taken one step towards her before she scurried into the corner. “NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO USE THAT! I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL TELL YOU!” She screamed, putting her arms over her head.

Some spy, I thought snidely. She can't even take a fair amount of pain to protect the cause she works for. Pathetic coward.

Smirking, all her fear seemed to melt as she said, “Scarlett is the one who wants her rightful position. She-”

The door was flung open, and my eyes widened as I saw someone I had expected to see on the day Dark and Ry had attempted to assassinate Naomi.

The one who had been assigned to secretly patrol Langdale on that day to search for the person I was trying to locate. I had wondered why she had vanished.

“Elsie?” Deathbringer gasped.

Elsie was leaning on Indigo, limping, and had a bandage around her waist.

“Bethany… I made it back.” She said, breathless.

“Elsie, it's great to see you again.” I nodded. “Anything important?”

“Yes.” Her expression turned into one that expressed concern. “The assassination… You know how there were three people who tried to kill Naomi?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, one of them wasn't sent by Deolark or Emeraldia. He was sent by someone else. I know this because I asked him why he shot at Naomi, and I killed him afterwards.”

“WHAT?!” I exclaimed. I knew there was something fishy about three assassins!

“He… He said he worked for someone called Scarlett.”

“Scarlett…” I glared at Annalise. “Is that who you work for?”

“Perhaps.” Annalise said secretively.

“Are you going to give a straight answer or not?!”

Annalise was silent, expressionless.

“Pathetic slug!” I grabbed her head, and with a sudden twist of my hands, her neck snapped with a crack, and she fell to the floor, dead.

Deathbringer winced, and I assumed that was because yet another had died because of his spying. Guess he lives up to his name.

“We need to find out more.” I sighed. “Welcome back, Elsie. I expect you to continue your training once you heal, but for now, you may go back to your room.”

“I won't let you down,” Elsie replied, nodded once, and then she and Indigo left.

“Deathbringer?”

“Yes?”

“Find Kat. We need him to crack the code on Annalise’s cell phone.” I picked the phone out of Annalise's pocket.

As he left, I satisfied myself with glaring at Annalise's dead body. Even though it was necessary to kill her before she did any more damage, I didn't like to lose NightWalkers. Even though there were so many (I was debating whether or not to make a second base in order to give everyone more space to live and train), people this skilled didn't grow on trees. Specially trained spies, warriors, and ninjas didn't grow on trees.

Deathbringer returned with Kat, who was sitting on his shoulder.

“Kat,” I picked up the phone, “I need you to crack the code.”

Kat gave me a grim look. “There's something I need to show you first.”

“What is that?” I rolled my eyes. “It’d better be important.”

Climbing onto the desk, he grabbed my open laptop, and went to YouTube. He clicked on a recent video, and he sat back as I observed. Deathbringer walked behind us and watched too.

Ry was clearly seen, and she was rallying.

“I'm sorry to bring this news, but I am afraid that Naomi has declared war.” Ry announced to a huge crowd from a balcony that was built into a mountain.

Many of the spectators started to protest or make furious comments towards my sister, including the person recording this, who was in the back of the crowd. “Some 'peacemaker.’ Guess she has a death wish.”

Oh, she doesn't. But apparently YOU do.

A hush fell over the crowd as Ry raised her sword, and I noticed that people started to look at one another with expressions that said “Oh my gosh, she's serious!” and “Holy crap, the Republic is going to die…”

I assumed that last one was because of her skills that they had seen back in the war with Radish Land.

If you think SHE'S good, then you'll faint with terror when you meet me, I thought, since I had seen Ry fight during Radish Land's last hours. Naomi might be an equal to Ry, but not me.

Heck, I'm compared to a demon sometimes.

“We will not return the declaration unless necessary. If anyone is recording this live and someone in the RSW is watching, I'd like to let you know that we will stay neutral until you attack. You have been warned; Emeraldia is ready for you,” Ry declared.

Cheering in agreement, the crowd was filled with newfound determination instead of fear that I had sensed before.

They're ready.

And so am I.

“We must begin preparations now,” Ry ordered. “Doctors, medics, be ready for what's coming, and I'd recommend getting basic training on how to handle a gun or bow in case we need someone on the field. Military and those who wish to join the fight, meet me here at 1 o’clock tomorrow afternoon to discuss plans. Children and those who want no part in this, evacuate to smaller towns. We will not bow to this war! If Naomi wants a fight… Rest assured, she will get one.”

Determination was strong in the air, I could tell, and the crowd started to disperse before the video ended.

Oh, Naomi doesn't want a fight. I do. She wasn't that willing to wage war, so I had to convince her for her own sake. She's too soft for war.

Too soft for her own good. Someday, somehow, I will try to make sure that she doesn't keep feeling that way towards any of them. I'm sorry, little sister, but you need to be stronger. Mentally.

If I don't… Her heart, her softness… it'll end up killing her somehow. And I'm not losing anyone else, even if I have to lie to do so.

If she was anyone else, I'd be fine with her being like this, but she's the leader of this country. She can't be like this.

Naomi, I'm sorry. But I need to protect you however I can. I promised Mother I'd take care of you, Tim, and Mitchell. And I already failed once.

I'm not failing again.

A/N: I take full responsibility for this being so late. 😂

What will happen next? Will Naomi ever get over the fact that her family almost died out because of her? Will her dark side make another appearance? Will Laurel get back to Naomi? Will the attack on Emeraldia be successful? Who is Scarlett? Is Naomi an equal to Ry like Bethany believes she is? And will Bethany succeed in protecting her remaining two siblings? Find out next time, on Chasing Chaos!

Well, I have Christmas presents to plan. Merry Christmas, and may the hope and joy of the holiday grant you luck!