The dawn broke over Valdris, casting long shadows across the Citadel’s spires. Damien stood on the battlements, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. Below, the city stirred to life, but his thoughts were elsewhere—focused on the mission ahead.
Today, they would set out to capture a Rift leader.
----------------------------------------
A CAREFULLY LAID TRAP
The council had selected the location: Shadowpeak Pass, a narrow valley known for its treacherous terrain and strategic vantage points. Reports indicated increased Rift activity in the area, making it the perfect spot for an ambush.
Damien gathered his task force in the war room for a final briefing. The map of Shadowpeak Pass lay spread before them, marked with potential choke points and escape routes.
“We’ll lure the Rift leader here,” Damien said, pointing to a narrow gorge. “It’s the only way in or out. Once it’s inside, we close off the exits and take it down.”
Lyra tapped the map, her expression thoughtful. “What about the horde it’ll bring? We’ll need to deal with them first, or they’ll overwhelm us.”
“Agreed,” Cassian added. “I’ll set up on the ridge with my bow. I can thin their numbers before they reach us.”
Roland grinned, cracking his knuckles. “Leave the heavy lifting to me. I’ll hold the line at the gorge.”
Damien nodded. “Good. Lyra, you’ll support Roland. I’ll engage the Rift leader directly.”
The team exchanged determined glances. They knew the risks, but they also knew the stakes.
----------------------------------------
THE JOURNEY TO SHADOWPEAK
The ride to Shadowpeak Pass was tense but uneventful. The landscape grew harsher as they approached, the jagged peaks looming like the teeth of some ancient beast. The air grew colder, the scent of ozone and decay signaling their proximity to the Rift’s influence.
As they neared the pass, Damien called for a halt. The team dismounted, leading their horses to a hidden alcove. From this point on, they would proceed on foot.
Cassian climbed to his designated position on the ridge, blending seamlessly with the rocky terrain. Lyra and Roland took their positions at the gorge, their weapons at the ready. Damien stood at the center, Ebonfang already humming with anticipation.
The Rift was close.
----------------------------------------
THE BATTLE BEGINS
It wasn’t long before the air grew heavy, the distant sound of snarls and claws on stone echoing through the pass. From the far end of the valley, a shimmering portal began to form—the telltale sign of a Rift opening.
Damien’s grip on Ebonfang tightened as the first wave of creatures emerged. They were smaller than the ones from Blackridge but just as vicious, their twisted forms loping toward the task force.
“Here they come!” Roland roared, raising his shield as the creatures swarmed.
Cassian’s arrows flew, each shot finding its mark. The beasts fell in rapid succession, their bodies dissolving into black mist. But for every one that fell, two more seemed to take its place.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Lyra moved like a shadow, her twin blades flashing as she danced through the horde, cutting down any beast that slipped past Roland’s defense. Despite the chaos, the team held their ground.
And then it appeared.
The Rift leader emerged from the portal, its massive form dwarfing the lesser creatures. This one was different from the leader they had faced before—its body was encased in dark, crystalline armor, and its eyes burned with a cruel intelligence.
Damien stepped forward. “That’s our target.”
----------------------------------------
THE LEADER’S FURY
The Rift leader let out a deafening roar, its voice shaking the very ground. It raised an arm, summoning tendrils of dark energy that lashed out toward the task force.
Damien activated Phase Step, blinking out of harm’s way and reappearing behind the creature. He struck with Astral Slash, the wave of energy slamming into the leader’s back. The attack staggered it but did little damage.
“It’s tougher than it looks,” Damien muttered.
The leader turned, its massive claw swiping toward him. Damien ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the blow. He countered with a quick series of strikes, each one aimed at the creature’s joints and weak points.
Meanwhile, Roland and Lyra fought to contain the horde. Roland’s shield held firm as he bashed and slashed at the creatures swarming him. Lyra darted in and out of the fray, her blades carving a deadly path through the enemy ranks.
Cassian called out from above. “Damien, it’s focusing its energy on you. Watch for its next move!”
Damien didn’t need the warning. The Rift leader raised both arms, its crystalline armor glowing ominously. A pulse of dark energy erupted from its core, sending shockwaves through the valley.
“Everyone, get back!” Damien shouted.
The team scattered as the energy blast tore through the ground, leaving jagged fissures in its wake. The Rift leader roared again, charging directly at Damien.
----------------------------------------
THE CAPTURE
Damien knew he had to act quickly. He activated Celestial Aura, the shimmering field slowing the creature’s movements just enough to give him an opening. With a roar of his own, he lunged forward, Ebonfang glowing brightly.
“Now!” he yelled.
The others sprang into action. Roland and Lyra flanked the leader, striking at its exposed sides. Cassian unleashed a volley of enchanted arrows, each one striking true and pinning the creature in place.
Damien raised Ebonfang high, its runes blazing. With a powerful swing, he drove the blade into the Rift leader’s core. The creature let out a final, earth-shaking scream as its armor shattered, revealing a pulsing orb of dark energy at its center.
Instead of finishing it, Damien withdrew a crystal device—a containment shard provided by the council. He pressed it against the orb, and with a surge of light, the energy was absorbed, trapping the Rift leader’s essence within.
The creature’s body crumbled, and the remaining beasts dissolved into mist. The Rift began to close, its portal collapsing with a deafening roar.
It was over.
----------------------------------------
AFTERMATH
The team regrouped, their breaths heavy but victorious. Damien held the containment shard, its surface glowing faintly.
“We did it,” Lyra said, a mixture of relief and triumph in her voice.
Roland chuckled, his shield resting against his leg. “Barely.”
Cassian descended from the ridge, his bow slung over his shoulder. “Now we’ve got the council’s prize. Let’s hope they can learn something useful from it.”
Damien nodded, his eyes still fixed on the shard. “They will. And if they don’t, we’ll find another way.”
The team began their trek back to Valdris, the weight of their success tempered by the knowledge that this was only the beginning. The captured Rift leader was a step toward understanding the enemy, but the true battle was still ahead.
As they disappeared into the fading light, Damien felt a renewed sense of purpose. Together, they would uncover the truth behind the Rifts—and end the threat once and for all.