An ear-shattering explosion rocked the tent, causing Arjun to jump up and grab a saber that materialized in front of him. The blade shifted mesmerizingly between different shades of blue, from cyan to indigo. As Arjun left the tent, Aaron heard muffled and urgent voices before everything went quiet. Eerie, agonizing silence filled the air, and the tension was unbearable. Struggling to break free from his bindings, Aaron fought to stay alive even though he had previously tried to kill himself. His heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. He paused for a moment, hoping to god that nothing was wrong. It was then that the screams started. Desperate and animalistic, Aaron renewed his efforts to break free from the resolute fabric that bound him.
Outside the tent, the sounds of fighting erupted, with screams and grunts sounding out. The acrid smell of blood and burnt flesh permeated the air. Silence fell again, and Aaron didn't even dare to breathe. Footsteps approached, and Arjun entered the tent, his face set in a grim countenance. His left arm was missing from the elbow and wrapped in blue bandages, but this injury did not slow him down. Putting his fingers to his lips, Arjun stared intently at Aaron, who responded with the barest of nods. Arjun snapped his fingers, and sparks flew from them as the bindings came loose. Aaron scrambled to get out of them, ignoring the pain in his protesting body.
Following Arjun, who was heading to the back of the tent, Aaron noticed that tendrils of water were spouting from the blue bandages he was wearing. They formed an amorphous blob on the ground, which then condensed into a human form and turned into a copy of Arjun, looking bloodied and very dead. Arjun gave Aaron a wink, to which he could only stare back mutely. Muttering to himself, Arjun touched the back of the tent, causing it to ripple and give way. He held Aaron's hand and pulled him through the door, which was disguised to be a part of the tent and was actually made of liquid. It was almost as though Arjun was expecting the attack to happen. Aaron couldn't help but wonder if Arjun was an alien or a cautious water wizard who had prepared for this moment.
As they ran through the encampment, screams and the sounds of fighting could still be heard in the distance. A pale white moon hung overhead, casting a eerie glow on their surroundings. Arjun took a small stone out of his pocket and crushed it before grabbing Aaron and leading him northward. His shifting blue saber floated in front of him as he led Aaron, strangely enough, not through the cover of shadows but along brightly lit paths. Aaron, struggling to catch his breath, could barely keep up with the giant man. People in various states of undress and armor rushed past them, heading toward a large and luminescent clearing filled with bonfires. A large number of people were standing behind a protective circle of bonfires, guarded by armed sentinels.
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As they approached, a nine-foot-tall, slender woman wearing obsidian armor strode forward to meet them. She was holding two wicked daggers that circled her in the air. Aaron quickly resolved to never make eye contact with the warrior. However, things did not seem to be going his way, as she grabbed his shoulder and lifted him off the ground, levitating him into the air. She then took off at breakneck speed into the sea of tents they had just left, with Aaron floating behind her.
As they flew through the darkness, Aaron thought he saw cloaked figures darting through the shadows and following them. They headed into the darker parts of the encampment, the light growing dimmer and dimmer until all they could see were dark silhouettes in the moonlight. The silhouettes moved like piranhas underwater, encircling the strange duo of a regal warrior with her daggers out and a scared-looking Aaron.
The warrior, Zeva, needed to get Aaron, the Voyager, away from the remaining troops and concentrate on their ambushers. She suspected that there was more to the shadows stalking them than met the eye, and she needed to draw out the larger plot. She knew that the Void ones were known for their deceit, but she and her team had a few tricks up their sleeves as well. Timing was key. Zeva waited patiently for the shadow-humping freaks to make their move.
And they did. Three forms coalesced out of the shadows, wisps of darkness rising from their forms in the moonlight. Their eyes glowing red, the one in the middle spoke in a leisurely manner.
"We claim the Voyager for the Void god."
Side-stepping a dagger thrown at her from the shadows, Zeva replied as though nothing had happened. "Hasn't he been missing for a few million years? What are you going to do with this runt after claiming him?"
"Mortals may not pierce through the workings of one who has conquered the zenith existence. But since you'll be dead anyway, I will let you be privy to a most joyous revelation. He who rules the Endless Expanse has spoken to our Hierophant. He makes his return after the silent age."
"Bullshit," Zeva snorted internally. A whisper of wind kissed her ear. The Xeral was on his way.