Beyond the temples influence, Valerie knelt and watched the glowing arch like a hawk waiting for the slightest hint of movement. After running a mile from the temple, she collapsed against a tree and tended to her bleeding leg tearing scraps from her clothes to bandage the wound. She would need to fetch proper supplies from the backpack left by the side of the road to properly treat it later. After staunching the flow of blood and calming down enough for the rush of adrenaline to wear off she realised she was alone. She expected Samantha to follow after her but there was not a hint of the shadow user in sight. Before the ache in her leg subsided she was already trudging back to the temple wishing above all else the shadow user didn’t descend into that alluring pit.
“I should have made sure she got out of there. I should dragged her away. I… dammit.”
She admonished herself, slamming her fist against a tree causing it to shake and startling a squirrel. Upon returning to the sight of the temple with no sign of her travel buddy she made to approach the sunken building, but her legs refused to move an inch further. Not that it mattered as a pair of double doors locked her out from the temple and it secrets. Regardless, she stilled feared drawing near would tempt the divine be damned building into opening its maw to another victim. All she could do was sit just outside the temples domain and stare down the building that swallowed her Samantha. As the minutes dragged on, the huntress swore she would make it her personal mission to bury that accursed place under an avalanche of dirt if it was the last thing she did. She would add a new mountain to the scenery if that’s what it took. Despite her fury, she couldn’t force herself to get closer lest she be enraptured yet again. She wondered idly how Samantha avoided the enticing feeling this place gave off. It wasn’t like the shadow user was immune to bribery or rewards, her uncle often used extra servings at meal time to motivate her. It was pretty funny, Valerie had to admit, how quickly she would jump at the chance for more food that was always freely given. It was just another quirk of the shadow user that made her who she was and led her and the huntress to being… something. Her uncle often said that both of them needed a friend but was that what they were?
While the huntress worried over her relationship with her travel companion a change finally occurred in the temple. The glowing white marble suddenly dimmed, its exterior showing cracks and morphing into average stone. The white grass and foliage froze in place before crumbling into sand around the temple. Before Valerie could ponder the cause of the change, the doors locking the temple exploded open throwing up dust and debris into the air. Samantha casually walked out coughing on the billowing cloud of dust and waving it out of her face. Without a second thought, the huntress shot out of her hiding place and barrelled towards the dormant temple ignoring the pain in her leg and throwing caution to the wind. Skidding to a stop, she searched the shadow user up and down trying to sus out any changes. The jailbird however was nonplussed and greeted her compatriot accordingly.
“Sup.”
Her worried compatriot was too flabbergasted to hear her as she caught her breath and calmly asked for details.
“What in the bloody divine happened to you!?”
Rather than explain exactly what took place immediately, Samantha stepped back, grinning from ear-to-ear, and spread her arms wide.
“Check it out.”
Her bottled excitement was finally unleashed as she dramatically clapped her hands together. From all the dark patches around the pair ethereal black chains erupted rising high into the air at over five metres in length. There was an absurd number of dark links standing at attention all around the duo in a wide circumference that extended some ways into the tree line. Then unceremoniously they all collapsed to the ground. Looking around in confusion, Samantha let out a huff of exasperation and waved away all the slack chains forcing them to evaporate into nothingness. Pointing at her own shadow yet another chain shot straight into the air holding steady for a second then also fell limp against the earth. The failed showboat put her hands against her hips and looked down at the wet noodle of a chain with disappointment.
“Rats.”
Was all she could say at the poor display. Accepting the mystical chain granted Samantha a new aspect, unsurprisingly, of the chain variety. She felt her original aspect react to the addition and both interconnected, still two distinct powers but now linked in how they manifested. Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a free lunch and it would seem she lost the ability to directly command shadows after giving them shape. She would need to experiment with her power to understand its new limits and bonuses if any existed. She tried to explain her assumptions as well as her experience within the temple to Valerie as the two walked back to their discarded backpack.
“And then I was strung up and couldn’t do anything so I decided to take a nap cause I was kinda tired anyway and then this voice spoke and it said ‘you shall not pass’ or something I wasn’t really listening and then…”
She rambled on while Valerie nodded her head, repeating the last word of Samantha’s sentences as a question to appear interested. She was not really into the conversation; her mind was elsewhere still pondering her earlier conundrum.
“Samantha, shut up for a second I have to ask you something important.”
Valerie cut in while refusing to look at the rapidly talking girl who made a show of locking her lips prompting the huntress to continue.
“Are we friends?”
She hastily enquired afraid of the possible outcomes. Failing to stop Samantha from getting sucked into that temple forced Valerie to take a long hard look at their relationship so far. She was so willing and ready to abandon the creepy girl during her initial escape from her uncle but in hindsight she knew she would miss Samantha, miss her odd quirks, miss her peculiar personality, just miss her company. Selfishly running away without the shadow user forced her to question if she had been a good friend until now or if she even was a friend at all. She expected Samantha to also think over their relationship and maybe even need some time to come up with an answer. That wasn’t her style however and internal debates were not something she had time for. Taking a second to mime unzipping her mouth she answered bluntly.
“I guess so. Why, are we not?”
Taken aback by the response, Valerie halted in place forcing Samantha to stop alongside her. Was it that easy? Just a few words and that was it? Then again who said it had to be complicated, they could be their own unique brand of friends. Maybe comrades in arms? Calling themselves blood sisters might be a bit far off, but the idea was certainly appealing to the huntress. They were definitely a strong team of two and would undoubtedly have each other’s backs along their journey and would be there to defend one another. Today Valerie failed but tomorrow she would be there to get Samantha out of danger and had full confidence her friend would do the same. A slight weight suddenly lifted off the huntress, it felt nice to have a friend someone she could truly depend upon.
“Yeah… yeah! I suppose we are.”
Valerie agreed while extending her hand which Samantha readily took, the two sealing their pact with a shake.
“Thanks, so what were you saying about the temple?”
“Oh this is the best part, apparently when I die everyone’s going to forget about me.”
Well, that quickly ruined the moment, Valerie would need to get used to that with this girl as her friend. After the two located their missing backpack still sat by the side of the road, they set off on their journey again. Samantha practiced with her new aspect whenever she could using all the techniques and tricks James taught her to little success. Her shadows were tougher now capable of resisting considerable damage unlike the flimsy tentacles she used before. They weren’t indestructible though, with enough force or empowered by her aspect the huntress could sever them easily enough. They could also be fired out from the darkness at a rapid pace, far faster than before, which made for some excellent reaction training for one of them. The summoner however was less successful in finding a use. She missed the freedom of movement her original power possessed essentially giving her a never-ending series of limbs to use as she saw fit. Now they were basically blunt, quick and sturdy spears, useful for distraction but without enough power to really deal damage. She needed to adapt to her new shadow chains and find their true strength if she was to ever overtake Valerie. The huntress was already two up when it came to monster killing and Samantha was determined to close that gap by any means necessary.
The answer came when the two were camping under the stars on a cloudless night. Samantha tried to sleep yet couldn’t as her mind raced over her two aspects and how best to use them. Staring up at the dark expanse between tree branches, she caught sight of a tiny spider weaving a web out of its thread. The arachnid worked tirelessly to form an interwoven net of incredibly thin and sturdy string that would help it catch prey. Watching just such a prey get caught and then coated in layer upon layer of thread sparked an idea in the shadow user. The following morning, she practiced her new technique with Valerie’s assistance and while it was clumsy in the beginning she slowly adapted and formed a new fighting style. A style she was quickly able to put to the test.
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Along the two’s journey they encountered a number of juvenile monsters but rather than attack head on they would watch and assess the enemy before deciding whether to ambush. Valerie would take the vanguard position focusing the monster’s attention and drawing them into a trap. Without any direct kill moves or efficient method to take down a beast Samantha was relegated to the unenviable support position. Her role was to corner the monster with her creepy aura or lock of its escape whenever possible. She didn’t get a lot of action however as the pitiful creatures were quickly and efficiently slaughtered by the huntress. Unlike the Duvolf, they did not possess a sturdy frame or other magical boosts to their anatomy. That was until they encountered a new monster: a Coldra. An ice blue snake nearing twenty metres in length and over two in diameter. It was, as the name and appearance showcased, an ice attuned monster, the first elemental creature either had come across. While out hunting, the Coldra would attempt to wrap around any prey it came across and either suffocate or freeze their meal solid. When threatened it would unhinge its jaw to let out a chilling breath strong enough to flash freeze anything in a ten-metre cone. Upon learning these details from her aspect, Valerie originally vetoed taking on the beast as neither had any defence to the magical chill the creature let off, Samantha on the other hand saw an opportunity to show what she was truly capable of. After a round of pleading and puppy dog eyes, the huntress gave in with the express stipulation that if things got out of hand both would run for the hills no matter what.
The hunt began with Valerie creeping out of sight alongside the snake as it prowled its usual feeding grounds. With its attention elsewhere she struck, volleying over the snakes back and dragging her knife along the icy scales. Her blade barely nicked the Coldra’s frosted outer layer for fear that if she tried to truly stab the beast she wouldn’t be able to rip her knife out in time. Despite the negligible damage, the monster raged all the same hissing at its assailant and attempted to bite her head off. Valerie used the snakes’ own body to kick off and out of harms way before booking it. With fury and hunger blinding its reasoning, the bitter snake slithered after its meal on wheels while knocking over trees and shrubbery along its path leaving a frozen trail in its wake. Normally the huntress would have tossed a knife to grab its attention but all the ones she brought with her were either chipped, broken or lost leaving her with just her main weapon to rely upon. Not wanting to be disarmed, she ran like her life depended on it, aiming for a spot the two had designated as the kill zone. She broke through the tree line just before the snake caught up arriving at a river with a gently flowing stream passing by. The presence of Coldra began to freeze the nearby creek and cause the huntress’s breath to become visible. The giant snake’s head rose up towering over Valerie as it slowed to a crawl before its next meal. Feeling victorious, the reptile made to snap at its afternoon snack but was stopped by a pair of horizontal shadow chains flying in from the side to bar its path. Grabbing the snake’s attention, it turned just in time to receive a flying kick to the snout. Though she herself wasn’t physically strong, when forcibly yanked across the sky by a pair of ethereal chains, Samantha could become quite the wrecking ball.
When practicing with her chains the shadow user discovered their ability to retract was just as if not faster than their initial summoning. If she didn’t dismiss them, she could conjure a shadow chain from under her cloak, have it snag on a tree branch and use it to drag herself rapidly into the air. Crazy, dangerous and completely unpredictable it was exactly what she needed in her arsenal. If she couldn’t be the most lethal, she could at least be faster than her opponent or equally much more annoying to pin down. She practiced endlessly for a day straight, launching herself up, landing hard against the ground and quickly rising again for another round. With the loss of her ability to directly control a shadows shape and movement she could only fire her chains in straight lines although at whatever angle she chose. It was like having a never-ending supply of lassos or harpoons to tether herself onto nearly anything within sight. Yet again the downside was their relative weak power and tendency to crumple into a pile if her angle or timing was off. She also still couldn’t summon them from a person’s or living creatures shadow, they just shifted too much for her to utilize. Thus, Samantha herself was forced to become the flail at the end of her own chain as the Coldra was now learning.
After striking the snake dead-on, she retracted the chains still attached to her and was dragged into the tree canopy away from the raging python. Indignant at the abuse it suffered, the Coldra shook off the disorientation and searched the clearing for its prey only to find no one in sight. Both the huntress and flying squirrel were gone from sight. Cautiously, the reptile slowly slithered forward its head still raised high listening for movement as well as feeling for any vibrations using its lower body. Given its elemental nature, the Coldra had an acute thermal sense that could pick out the slightest variation in temperature which it was using to try and narrow down the two gnats from the thicket of trees. What it ended up sensing was the complete lack of heat as a shadowy chain flew across the clearing again, its end disappearing into the shrubbery on the other side. Stopping just shy of the thin chain, the snake prepared for a flying girl to come hurtling out of the woods. When another chain appeared behind it, the snake grew confused which only grew as yet more chains surrounded the frosty monster. If the Coldra had any eyebrows one certainly would have been raised at the frankly absurd number of chains encircling it. Slowly edging itself forward, the snake barely touched a single link when all at once they snapped shut, wrapping around the monster like a mummy. It tried to wriggle free from the bindings but only caused them to grow tighter and pull the beast towards the ground.
It was at this moment Samantha re-emerged running across a chain with expert balance and coordination. This impressive display lasted a single second before she slipped falling onto another chain below the first and continued her tight rope sprint. Yet another thing to add to the ever-growing list of skills to master. Reaching the Coldra, she climbed up its back to stand atop the head, her hands and feet chilling at the touch of its icy scales. The snake tried to shake off its assailant, but Samantha held on tight focusing on the area around the creature as well as the many shadows at her disposal. Their location had not been the only fore planning the monster hunters accounted for, the time of day needed to be just right as well. They waited for a moment when the sun was in the perfect position to force the surroundings to cast large deep and dark shadows. A chain fired out from the left side of the snake looping over it before descending into the black depths on its right. The same happened twice more until three hoops formed over the snake their ends safely tucked into the shadows below. With the loops complete Samantha mentally commanded the chains to retract on both sides slamming the Coldra against the ground. The monster struck the earth with considerable force denting the dirt and causing it to briefly grow dizzy. The bindings were slackened just enough to allow the monster a chance to rise up only slightly before immediately being slammed back against the ground. This process continued for another few rounds of up and down until finally the snake stopped rising, its head a whirl of concussions.
Samantha waited for any sign of movement while stood atop her foe, frost forming on her shoes yet she paid it no mind. After just a few seconds she unanimously declared the hunt complete and that the snake wasn’t getting back up. It was quite the catch and took careful planning, but they had done it, she had done it. She set a trap, lured the beast in and secured it beyond reproach just like the spider. She may have lost deft control but with positioning and planning she could become a trapper and stealth expert like no one else. Unfortunately, being able to land a killing blow was still outside her wheelhouse, that she would require outside help for, but doing the majority of the work was still a win to her. Leaping down from the Coldra, Samantha stood next to the snakes head giving it a friendly pat that turned her fingers a troubling blue.
“Hey Val! You’re turn!”
She shouted while frantically and excitedly waving her friend over to end the poor beast’s misery. Misery that the snake sought righteous vengeance for. A snap echoed out from beside Samantha and a single black chain landed beside her, the final link broken and gradually fading away. Then another snap and another as the chains locking down the snake began to break in a cacophony of broken links. She met eyes with the Coldra’s hate filled gaze and offered a shy wave before the beast tore through all its bindings rising back to its full majesty and letting out a triumphant and furious hiss.
Valerie charged out from behind the tree she used for cover. In her humble opinion this was very bad, terrible even, perhaps the worst possible outcome, a catastrophe of monumental proportions. Well maybe not that bad but still pretty unfortunate. The Coldra was loose, throwing its upper body around in a rage fuelled fit while Samantha was nowhere in sight. The huntress kept her distance while she searched the area but found nothing until a faint and excited scream reached her ears from above. Both she and the Coldra looked up to see the missing party was soaring high in the sky. Valerie guessed the thrill seeker grabbed onto a chain still connected to the snake at the last second and was thrown skyward as a result. While she was thankful her friend was safe, the snake on the other hand was anything but. A blue glow shone out from its belly and crept up its throat much to Valerie’s dismay. It was going to unleash its icy breath at the falling girl and she had no way to dodge the attack.
“Oi! Blue balls! Over here!”
The huntress tried to grab the monsters attention with name calling and a few thrown rocks that smacked harmlessly against the furious snake. Her efforts were in vain as the Coldra was dead set on eliminating the one who disrespected it. It didn’t stop her however as she desperately sought a solution. Staring up at the beast her mind buzzed as her Aspect of the Hunt came through once again. She was suddenly aware the underbelly of a Coldra was less protected as was the sensitive area just under its lower jaw to allow it to feel for vibrations in the ground and stretch its gargantuan maw wide. Seeing no other option, she drew her knife flipped it so her thumb and fore finger gripped the blade and aimed.
“Come on, come on, come on.”
She said through gritted teeth, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She just got a friend and there was no chance this overgrown worm was going to take her. When the blue light was at the end of the monster’s throat and it opened its mouth wide, she struck. She flooded her blade with nearly all her available mana while using the Aspect of the Knife to guide her, adjusting her arm and the angle of her throw to hit dead on. The shimmering blade was sent hurtling forth, the force of the throw forcing her back a step. She watched as her weapon soared through the air like a buzzsaw before colliding with the Coldra’s lower jaw. The impact forced the mouth shut and sent its head tumbling back almost touching the tip of its tail. Having its maw snapped closed just at the point of eruption caused a violent backfire on the snake freezing its mouth in place and causing both eyes to turn to icicles before shattering. There was no such thing as immunity to the elements just resistance and the Coldra was a perfect match for itself.
Samantha caught glimpses of the exchange below while tumbling towards the ground and saw an opportunity to finish the snake off for good. Forcing herself into a dive, she wrapped a shadow chain around her arm with a single loop extended to flap around wildly. The snakes head rolled back until it was nearly vertical once again. As she rocketed towards the ground, Samantha extended the loop out catching onto the embedded knife and arresting her momentum causing her to smack against the snake’s underside in the process. The gambit worked however as Valerie’s knife was forced down sliding through the Coldra’s exposed throat and belly. Reaching the ground with a thud, Samantha had only a moments breath to roll out of the collapsing snake’s way before it crushed her. With a mighty crash the Coldra’s upper body landed against the ground its head breaking into many pieces from the impact. Samantha stared at the monster’s corpse as Valerie walked up beside her both breathing heavy from due to the exertion. Grinning like a madman, the shadow user extended her hand for yet another victorious high five only to receive a smack to the side of her head.
“That’s for the stupid stunt and for not making sure it was properly secured. You could have died out there.”
Valerie reprimanded before stalking off to try and fish her knife out from under the dead monster. Although her words were harsh, she was trying desperately to keep her composure and mask the terror that still sat in the pit of her stomach. Samantha sulked and walked up to the beast with an exaggerated pout. Examining her first official monster kill she couldn’t help but feel inspired.
“It was pretty cool though right?”
She yelled back at her storming mad friend. There was a moment she could almost hear the screech as Valerie skid to a stop and turned on her heel. Needing no other sign, Samantha bolted away knowing she was about to receive another well-deserved smack to the head.