Vaela clutched her stick and shield as tight as possible. The darkness was all-encompassing, almost suffocating. Even the sounds of nature that had been around them seemed distant now. Footsteps crunched over the ground near her and someone bumped into her side. Vaela jolted and whipped her arm out, smacking into someone's shoulder.

Surah's voice erupted from the darkness. “Ow. Vaela?”

A morsel of relief filtered through her and she leaned over, pressing into Surah. “It's me.”

Shifting came from beside her and a hand tapped her shoulder. “It's Timura.” Timura’s voice sounded husky, hoarse with restrained fear.

Vaela squinted into the darkness, but no light shined through. It was impossible to see–they were too deep in the shadows, drowning in darkness. Even if she could tap into Alnea's Sight, there was nothing to see. She reached out with her shield-arm and brushed Timura. “Can you see anything?” That was their only chance. To pierce the Shadow with their own Power. She tucked her stick under her arm and grabbed the third vial from her belt–Hermit’s blood. She swallowed it and dropped the vial. His Power seeped through her body, darkness outside and within.

Timura’s body bobbed into Vaela’s arm as she shook her head. “Barely anything. His Power is too strong.”

Feet crunched over the ground towards them–three sets of footsteps. Chills raced down Vaela’s spine and the roiling Shadow within her slipped out of her grasp. “They’re coming.”

Vaela pushed Surah and Timura out to each side. If they swung blindly, they were as likely to hit each other as any of their enemies. She raised her shield, hunching behind it as much as possible, and swept her stick in front of her. At least Alnea and Jace were as blind as them. Hermit, on the other hand… well, she’d worry about him later.

Something pounded against the ground and Vaela pivoted, flinching behind her shield. Hermit’s voice seeped out of the darkness. “Come now, little mice. Are you as blind as the day you were born?”

Something swished through the air, then smacked into flesh. Timura cried out with a thud as she fell.

Vaela took a step in her direction. “Timura!”

Someone grabbed her arm and spun her back around. Vaela whipped her stick through the air and it cut through nothingness. A hand caught her wrist and another hand flung the edge of her shield away, exposing her body. She struggled against the unseen person–Alnea, by the feel–and the hands disappeared. Alnea’s body slid past her and arms wrapped around Vaela’s neck from behind. Vaela choked out a breath and pried the arm from her throat with her shield-hand. Alnea heaved her back. “Stop looking with your eyes.”

Vaela drove her elbow back, catching Alnea in the ribs, though the woman didn't so much as grunt. Her arms released and she shoved Vaela forward. Vaela stumbled and fell to one knee. Beside her, metal rang against metal and she cringed to the side. It had to be Jace's sword glancing off of Surah's shield–was he truly reckless enough to swing an actual weapon blindly? Surah grunted and his sword swished through the darkness. The tip breezed past Vaela’s face and she cried out and reeled away.

Timura shouted out in challenge and her footsteps pounded forward. Wood clattered against metal several times followed by a fleshy thump. Timura’s groan came from the ground to the right. Vaela swiped towards where it sounded like Hermit had been, but hit nothing. Damn it, it wasn’t possible!

Of course, he’d crush them–he could see in the Shadow. But from the way Alnea had moved around her, it almost seemed like she could See as well. How was that possible? There wasn't even light to make out the dimmest outline.

Footsteps crept up behind her and Vaela spun, slashing her stick in several wild arcs. She cut through the darkness with no impact, edging backwards. She raised her stick overhead and Alnea grabbed her from the side. It was hard to balance in the disorienting blindness. The world felt barely steady beneath her and her feet left the ground. Alnea pulled her through the air and then Vaela slammed into the ground. She wheezed and her body reflexively curled, bringing the shield over her face. Alnea kicked it to the side, flinging Vaela's arm wide with it. Vaela stabbed her stick in the direction the kick had come from. A hand caught the stick and jerked it out of her hands. Alnea’s foot drove into Vaela’s ribs, shooting pain through her side, and she gasped. Alnea tore the shield from her arm and two thumps landed on the ground just out of reach–her stick and shield.

Several paces to the side, metal clanged against metal in a rapid staccato. Surah shouted and there was a crash, sending reverberations along the ground. Surah groaned from nearby and Vaela crawled to him. He cringed at her touch, but she wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him upright. Timura's panting cut through the darkness in choppy waves. Vaela took a step towards her and Timura unleashed a shout. Vaela fell back, dragging Surah with her. Something swished in front of her face and her arm flew up. Hermit’s laughter rang out, so close–too close. “Now, now, little mice. Play nice with each other, won't you?”

Fabric fluttered–Timura spinning?–followed by the crack of Hermit’s wooden staff against Timura’s metal one. Hermit chuckled. “Why don’t you join your friends?”

Timura let out a pained grunt and something heavy rolled towards them. Vaela dropped to her hands and knees and crawled a few steps until she touched a body. Timura. She eased her up and Vaela snaked an arm around Timura’s torso. They stumbled back and Vaela reached back for Surah. She touched his shoulder and he jerked. He grabbed her arm and the three of them huddled in the dark, blind and bruised.

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Something tapped in front of them–Hermit, walking back and forth like a cat prowling in front of an injured bird. No urgency. Just a hunter taking its time to play with its food. His footsteps stopped near Timura and she jolted back with a cry as if struck. Her upper body doubled over and she was pulled from Vaela’s grasp. A moment later, Timura stumbled back past them and thudded to the ground. More footsteps, fearfully close, then Hermit’s voice directed to where Timura had just landed. “You still can't harness the darkness. Still just lost in the shadows.”

Anger swirled up from Vaela. How easy it was for him, with his years of practice. If he really was an immortal Being, then centuries, millennia, of practice. And all for what? To beat them in the dark? To hit Timura when she was already down? Vaela punched in his direction. His hand wrapped around her wrist and jerked her off-balance.

She took a step, then Surah fell to the side. Vaela spun and reached for him. Someone else batted her hand away and Surah flew backwards. Vaela turned and a fleshy hand locked her wrist and elbow, forcing her to one knee. Jace. He held her in place, but his voice pointed towards Surah. “You must learn to defend yourself. Harness your Fire and Burn the night away.” Jace released Vaela and his footsteps padded away.

She jolted to her feet, shaking her arm out. Jace and Alnea–so certain, despite not being Shadow Spinners. They could somehow navigate in the darkness. Their senses–were they really that sharp? That strong?

Light footsteps tapped in front of her and Vaela raised her fists. So this was it, then. Hermit for Timura, Jace for Surah, and now, Alnea for her. Well, she wouldn't go down easy. Vaela delivered a hook with each fist, swiping as far as she could while still keeping her footing. Neither connected, but she let out a shout. She punched and punched into the darkness, losing track of what direction she’d faced originally.

Alnea grabbed her once again from behind. Vaela flailed back at the touch, but Alnea threaded her arms underneath Vaela’s and locked them back. She interlocked her fingers behind Vaela’s neck, pulling her close. “You see only what you want.”

Vaela grunted and twisted, trying to fling Alnea off. Alnea shifted, releasing Vaela. A fist hammered into Vaela’s stomach and she doubled over. Pain burst across her cheek and Vaela stumbled back. Her feet tripped over another body–Timura gasping in response–and Vaela tumbled to the ground. She struggled to her knees and Alnea's arm tightened around her neck from behind.

Vaela shoved her fingers at her throat, desperately trying to loosen the pressure. She pried Alnea’s arm away enough to wheeze in a breath. “What… want… see?”

Alnea jerked her arm several times, wriggling tighter and tighter. Vaela’s lungs burned and Alnea constricted her further. “Your friends.” Alnea disappeared and Vaela collapsed to her hands and knees, gasping. Air rattled into her chest and a hand grabbed her.

Timura’s voice blossomed from the darkness. “It's me.”

Footsteps tapped from behind both of them and they spun. Vaela pulled Timura close, under her arm, feeling her hammering heart against her own. Alnea’s soft voice floated down to them. “See Timura.” Her voice seemed disembodied, as if the Shadow itself spoke to them. “A timid girl who clings to those stronger than her.” Alnea's voice drew closer with the last word and flesh struck flesh. Timura cried out and sagged. Vaela dove down and tightened her grip around Timura.

Alnea's voice strummed out again from Vaela’s other side. “See Surah.”

Dread pounded through Vaela and she shook her head. Why was she doing this?

“A seeker of pleasure because he's too much of a coward to risk for something greater.”

Another strike. Surah cried out and collapsed to the ground. Vaela hauled Timura to the side with her until she found Surah. He laid on the ground, clutching his stomach. She tried to pull him up, but he was like deadweight. She knelt down resting an arm on his shoulder, feeling his heaving chest.

No more attacks came, but she could hear them–Hermit, Jace, and Alnea–shifting in the Shadows.

Surah pushed up and crawled away. Vaela caught his tunic. “Where are you going?”

He grabbed her hand and tugged her after him. “Out.” He took a few pained breaths and set her hand on his back, before crawling another step. “Out of the darkness.”

Beside her, Timura stumbled to Surah's side and helped him up. “Yes, that makes sense. Even Hermit can't cover this whole area.” Her hand caught Vaela’s and she pulled her towards them.

Vaela took a step, then hesitated. None of the Created tried to stop them. Would they just let them go?

Surah and Timura took another step through the darkness, each pulling Vaela by the hand.

Yes. They would let them go, wouldn't they? That was their victory.

And if they did, they’d be right. A Shadow Spinner cowed by the darkness. A pleasure-seeking coward. And her–a would-be Champion, incapable of saving anyone.

She stopped and turned, pulling her hands free.

Timura caught her wrist. “Vaela? What are you doing?”

Somewhere lost in that darkness were her stick and shield. But somewhere, much further away, someone dear to her was lost in her own darkness.

No. Not lost. Left. Abandoned.

“I-I’m not leaving.” Deep within her, Sight and Shadow growled. She clenched her fists. Maybe she didn’t have her stick and shield. But maybe she didn’t need them.

Surah grabbed her shoulder and tried to pull her back to them. “Why? Don't be stupid.”

Because she couldn't be cowed by the darkness. Because she wouldn't run.

Because maybe… maybe her inability to protect her friends was why she had left.

She reached back and caught Surah’s and Timura’s arms. She pulled them back until Surah and Timura stood behind her.

Footsteps strode up in front of her. They drew closer and Vaela didn't strike out. No stick, no shield. She kept her hands behind her, one on Timura, one on Surah. The footsteps padded closer until she could feel breath on her face. Alnea.

“Why do you stay?”

Vaela squeezed Timura's hand and guided her further behind her. “For a loyal friend–who only wants to get stronger for the people she cares about.” She shepherded Surah back as well. “For a man who's braved more than most people ever would–and pulled me out of harm’s way regardless of the danger.”

She released Surah and Timura and shifted into her fighting stance, raising her arms. “So if you want to attack, that's fine.” The Shadow within her swirled. The Sight howled. “Hit me.” Fear bit at the back of her throat, panic threatening to drown her in the darkness. “And stop hurting my friends.”