The sun is slowly setting down, Nerys walks in the woods. She stops for a moment to catch her breath, she looks back at the capital as war horns sound in the distance. She runs towards an elavated hill and looks towards the city to see a large army march on the hills. Bearing the banner of a bear. More and more soldiers rised up from behind the crest.

The first group started charging at the city, consisting mostly of riders, they invaded the city and slaughtered those who attacked them, left the ones who covered in fear. Tears fell from the girl's eyes as she witnessed her home get taken away from her. She goes back towards the city as the sun started to settle, a huge creature walks from the direction of the city, grownling at the girl.

The beast startled the girl as it started to get closer and closer. "Nerys!" A familiar voice called out from her left. It was Serene, jumping in front of Nerys, facing the monster with huge teeth, no eyes and barely any skin on it. It stood up on it's back legs and swinged towards the woman, she shielded herself with the shadows. The beast swinged with it's other arm, relentlessly attacking her, forcing Nerys and Serene to back up. Serene seemed to have found an opening. It striked the beast through it's skinny body. It grabbed her arm and swinged at the woman one last time.

"No!" Nerys put up her hands towards the beast as it froze up. The monster turned all black as darkness enveloped it. The darkness moved on to Serene as well, covering her in it as she froze up. Nerys tried desperately to stop it not knowing what to do. She could not stop imagining all the moments, the teachings they had together all the loneliness she would have to endure if she were to die. She was the only one left from her home as she knew it.

She put her hands on Serene and focused, she tried stopping the darkness. So she did, momentarily. Serene looked at the girl.

"Leave me with the beast, at least i could protect you in my final moment just like your father wished. You have a great power, Nerys you have to move on and fight!"

"No... No! I can't do it without you!" The girl closed her eyes as the shadows started retracing it's path to the beast. The darkness stopped at the beast's arm. The girl smiled and opened her eyes, let go of Serene.

The woman dropped on the floor as the girl gasped. Serene's eyes turned blank. The woman turned blind, she started screaming as her body turned pale. She had no shadow. The darkness swallowed all her light and shadow and disappeared with it. Serene went silent as the life left her body in the matter of seconds.

Nerys could not believe her eyes, she kneeled down as tears ran down her cheeks. She clenched her fists as the beast behind her was engulfed in flames. It turned into ashes as the anger grew in the girl. After some time of saying goodbye to Serene she knew she could not stay in the forest for long. She covered Serene's body in leaves and left the hill. She walked in the direction of the Moon as it was believed to guide the lost in the night.

On her walk she found a trail, the Moon showing the path as it lit up the trail in front of her. At times she heard animals, or sometimes creatures rather big, like the beasts before run in the woods around her. They all seemed afraid of her. She eventually met a sign that read "Riverfall" she turned and walked towards the village. She heard more and more of the beasts around her. Soon she realized they were not afraid of her, rather they were stalking the girl.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Once the thought came to her mind she froze up as she heard footsteps approach her from behind. The shadow of the girl disappeared as she closed her eyes. She swiftly turned around with her arms extended. A wave of flames were sent in the direction of the footsteps.

"Kilpi!" A man's voice could be heard as he yelled in the language of the arts. As the flames stopped Nerys saw before her a man with long black, braided hair, a crossbow on his back and leather armor on him with his hands up that seemingly shieldid him from the fires of the girl.

"You sure are a feisty one, lady." He put his magical shield down and reached for his crossbow. The girl was ready to strike again as the man turned around and shot a monster in the chest.

"Run to Riverfall it's dangerous to stay here!"

The girl stood ready as she opened her palms as darkness was covering her hands, just like with Cadmus. The girl thrusted her arm towards the beast as a dark cloud flew towards it and covered it's whole body. The girl clenched her fist as the monster went up in flames.

"Well you seem like you can handle yourself." Said Uthlig. "There is more of them!" A pair of beasts appeared from the woods, they were much like the previous one, looking very much like wolves. He drew his sword and gave Nerys a dagger. He rushed towards one of the beasts. He slid beside it cutting it's left legs.

The girl went for the other one, she stood face to face with it as it launched at her. The ground shook a little from the impact of it landing beside her. The girl stabbed it in it's side and flipped to it's other side as it tried to attack her.

Meanwhile Uthleg was still fighting with the other beast as it was bleeding all over. It was still attacking him as he dodged away from it. He found an opening to strike the beast at it's side. Making the beast more aggressive and vulnerable. He cut it up more and more as it eventually collapsed and Uthleg finished it. For him this was all routine

Nerys at the other hand, with no experience with monsters. She made some distance between the two of them. She stood in the shadows of a tree and kneeled down on one leg. Her shadow ran towards the beast as it tried to circle around it and attack the girl. Her shadow then made an immediate turn and caught the beast's shadow. The darkness started covering it like before. She then snapped it away as the beast was left unable to move as it's legs were held by darkness, by it's own shadow.

The girl walked to the beast with furious eyes. She put her hand on the dagger and slowly swiped her hand across it. The dagger was bright red as it started burning from the blood of the beast. She swiftly stabbed the monster through it's throat. Uthleg watched as he smiled and was cautious at the same time.

"You have great power girl, where did you learn the Arts? Never seen anyone use it like this." The girl stayed silent as she handed the dagger back.

"Thank you for the assistance, i will be on my way."

"Wait!" Uthleg reached after her and grabbed her arm. "We could use someone like you, you are powerful." The girl turned around and looked at him.

"I know who you are, i do not need old men and women pester me after you betrayed my father." Then the girl took her arm out of his hold and walked towards the village. Uthleg called for his horse and walked towards another way. He thought deeply looking at the girl walk away. Did he just meet the princess? How does the princess know of such Arts? And more importantly, what is she doing out here all alone, where are the guards? An escort, anything? He shook his head as he got to the conclusion that does not need to know of things he has no business in for now.

The girl got out of the forest as she entered Riverfall, lights were already lit, chimneys were smoking. The girl pulled her hood up to cover her face a little, she knew she had to live hidden now, but she did not know if she really could.