Chapter 1

‘’There is nothing like a good hunt, right girl?’’ Kropka whined as Cordelia gave her an apple from the saddlebag. Wait here while I handle these monsters. Huntress made her way to the small graveyard at the bottom of the hill, now dominated by plants.

Lowlies, the shadows that love death. Their long, dark robes hide their disfigured bodies. Cordelia watched them as they were digging in the earth, looking for bones. Their favorites, especially human ones. This place was a treat for them as the creatures above now burned their bodies instead of burying them. 

She knew she had to make it quick as she was meeting Fernicus for breakfast. The moon remained high, refusing to yield to the sun. Moonlight set the perfect stage for the impending kill, making their execution that much easier.

Cordelia reached with her hand to the top of her spine, touched the skin, and felt the kelp inked on her back move aside to reveal the sword. In an instant, she held the sword’s pommel and removed it from her skin, leaving a space for the sword’s return amidst the kelp. 

Now that she had her dearest weapon in hands, she was ready to fight those nasty shadows. Cordelia approached the graveyard’s edge, where three Lowlies were feasting on an unearthed body. Those abandoned graveyards were like a feast for these disgusting shadows. 

Quietly, she moved until she was just a few steps away from the group. They looked up, just as she sliced the nearest one with the sword. It screamed in agony and turned into a black dust that flew into the wind. The other two Lowlies turned to her and wailed in their low voices, making it clear they were not happy about her interrupting their meal.

Cordelia smiled and shrugged her shoulders, relaxing them from the stiffness of the frosty night.’’One down two more to go.’’ The next attack came from the Lowlie on the left and it jumped forward, barring its circular row of two sets of teeth at Cordelia. She swung her sword, and the shadow stepped back just quick enough to escape the sword. 

The one from the right moved closer and reached its long, twig like fingers. A quick turn and the sliced fingers became dust. The sound of its anger reverberated for miles as it howled furiously and backed away to lick its wound.

Eyeing the two Lowlies, Cordelia felt joy running through her veins. Two monsters locked eyes before they attacked. They were not the smartest monsters born of the shadow, but they tried. They, along with many other types of shadows, roamed the Wilderness lands for many centuries now. The prolonged struggle against shadows had no apparent conclusion. Every corner of the world held them. There didn’t seem to be a cure, eradication or any other way to destroy them permanently. 

However, Cordelia, along with the other demon hunters, tried their very best to kill as many as they could to create a somewhat safe world. Even though they killed many, they were always coming from the Shadow Chasm. The name may not be the most creative, but it served its purpose. Every creature on land, sea, or sky had knowledge of the chasm and its origins.  

Throughout the years, many endeavored to overcome the colossal Chasm of Shadows, forged by the King of Zurea centuries ago. The King of the human kingdom. He wanted power and in search of it; he opened something he shouldn’t have. Now centuries have passed and the consequences are still terrorizing all.

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Wilderness was a land that no one ruled, here every kind of unwanted creature could find a place for itself. Here was the place which Cordelia now called home. She was a huntress of the shadows and she loved her job. It gave her a new purpose, since she lost the old one along with her life and home. 

The shadow on the left moved towards her and Cordelia swiped her sword through the air, connecting with the shadow flesh and disintegrating it into black dust. ‘’It’s just you and me.’’ Cordelia made eye contact with the last one. They circled each other, they moved slowly, watching each other. 

Cordelia stopped in her tracks and said, “Alright, I have had enough of this dancing in a circle.” She went for the kill blow, but the Lowlie moved to the side. However, it didn’t see the small dagger that Cordelia had in her other hand. In seconds, the shadow became just a pile of dust.

‘’That was quick’’ she whispered to herself as she wiped the sword with a cloth and hid it in her tattoo that welcomed the sword delightfully. Cordelia started moving out of the graveyard when she heard a rustle in the nearby bushes. She quickly took out a dagger that was strapped to her thigh once again and crouched a little lower for a better fighting stance.

A raven flew out of the bushes, scarring her slightly with the noises it had just made in the once quiet night.

‘’Stupid bird. Do you not have anything better to do?” She shouted into the wind, not expecting a response, and made her way to where her four-legged companion was waiting for her.

The walk back into the village was peaceful. Most of the creatures living here were fast asleep, feeling safe. This was all because of the dedicated hunters who worked tirelessly to eliminate the looming shadows in our world. 

On one side of Stompton village stood the Muchinless Mountains, while a small river flowed on the other side, with vast woods encompassing the rest of the area. Magic hid the village, allowing only those who needed a safe place to live to find it. This, along with other features, made this place a perfect place to call home. 

Cordelia lived here for the last five years with her best friend Fernicus, who was a mage. Mages were the highest class in the magic hierarchy. They were the most powerful of the magicals creatures that have an affinity for magic. Some might call Cordelia a magical thinking of her special skills, few knew of her true powers or where exactly she came from. 

Like many creatures that lived in the Wilderness, Cordelia was someone that had a painful past and needed a new safe place to live. The magic that covers these lands is large and wild. Many high-ranking creatures have tried to become the master of these lands, but they all were unsuccessful. The land knew how to protect itself and the vulnerable creatures that lived here. 

Cordelia shared her life and home with Fernicus, an old and secretive man who had experienced a lot but never divulged his history to anyone. He has a saying, “The past is in the past, the present is a gift to cherish, and the future is a mystery for another day.”

He was the one who found her when her own family turned on her, leaving her all alone. Fernicus was the one who believed in her when no one else did. Her own family left her for dead, but Fernicus found her and believed in her when nobody else did. Fernicus was the one who introduced Cordelia to the dry lands, the lands that she had to live in and called a home.

The village of Stompton, despite not being a large place, had a strong sense of community where everyone was familiar with and accepted one another like a family. Here lived all kinds of different creature breeds and those who were in between. Many places didn’t allow or approve the mixing of two different creatures, but here they could create their safe place in the world. Here, everyone showed acceptance and love towards one another. 

As Cordelia was making her way through the forest, Kropka suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her whole body became tense and unmoving, her head turned to the side, ears pricked and listening. ‘’What can you sense, girl?’’ Cordelia knew better than to take for granted what the horse could sense. There was something there. She just couldn’t see or hear what Kropka could. 

A growl in the bushes made all the hair on her body tense. This was a dangerous growl that belonged to something that lived in these woods, something that didn’t have a good heart. Something that would love to make Cordelia and Kropka its next delicious meal.