Ch.3

As Alara and I made our way to the forest, our path took us alongside the towering walls that encased the city and its recently acquired territories. The walls seemed to stretch on forever, encircling areas of varying landscapes and features. My eyes widened as we walked; new ramparts and fortifications had sprung up like weeds, sectioning off recently acquired lands.

"Every new wall represents a conquered territory," Alara noted, her eyes tracing the maze of stone and mortar. "Desperatly needed resources at the cost of Ranger lives."

I nodded, recalling my academy lessons about the constant battle between human settlements and the untamed wilds filled with monsters and mythical beasts. "And every new wall also symbolizes a fresh start for the city. New land for agriculture, new resources, new opportunities."

Alara sighed, glancing back at the the over populated mess that is Tu-Ra-Ji-An-Lee "Our city was established by powerful Rangers that we praise, but they aren’t real leaders and politicians, these circumstances are entirely new threats. Take Leatherwood, for example. We hardly can combat what lurks there, and yet, we try to claim it as ours."

“Don’t worry when I’m one of the points I’m going to fix this. I’ll be the best point to ever live!,” I shout with a wide grin on my face as Alara could only return a bittersweet smile.

A strange mix of sounds was heard as they walked along the top of the inner wall that comprised the territory with the packed civillians on one side and the sounds of battle on the far reaches of the other.

"Alara," Oliver began, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "You still haven’t told me about what happened during the year since you joined the ranger force. How have you been holding up?"

Alara's gaze lingered on the horizon for a moment as she hesitated before opening up. "I spent my first year with a team of twenty, mostly first-level rangers like myself. We were involved in everything—from minor rescue missions to combating monstrous invasions. It was like an extended training from the academy and we were good. Too good."

"Then why didn't you stay with them?" I inquired.

"Weariness, I suppose," Alara said with a smirk and a teasing grin as if to change the topic away from her old team. "I graduated to a second-level ranger. Could have stayed with my team, or moved into DeRa to police the city, but I wanted something different. More autonomy, tougher assignments."

"The chipper bunny has become the lone wolf, huh?"

"More like a grumbling old dog," she corrected before pointing to a team of DeRa scurrying like mice on top of the city. "But speaking of DeRa, it's an intricate web of politics I wasn't keen on getting caught up in. Look at them running around probably following whatever power hungry team lead until they move up to independent inspector, their version of a level three, and get to do whatever whenever."

Our conversation then meandered towards the political landscape of the city. It was led by the Council of the Five Points, each point representing a different faction following the most powerful leaders that helped establish the city.

"Tu-Ra-Ji-An-Lee," Alara began, " do you remember the old rhyme from the child courses in the Academy?"

"Uhh it’s been a while," I struggled to remember the old tune,

" Our city Tu-Ra-Ji-An-Lee,

Has only five leading parties,

The Tu loyal and strong,

Destroy all that is wrong,

With the Ji as scouts,

The An can explore without doubt,

And if all else fails just raise the Alarm,

the Ra will keep you safe from harm,

With four points to run the city,

who are all lead by the,

One and only Ustd Lee, right?"

"Exactly," Alara confirmed. " they said Ustd Lee would lead but he died years ago with nop one to replace his seat. Ji and An are all hot heads trying to pass up the focuses on intelligence and reconnaissance, the Ra is always busy managing the DeRa, who are named after him, and dispersing the tegen, and finally, the Tu being cut down so thin was the whole reason academy started in the first place."

"You’ve really changed. How do they work together so peacefully then?" I asked, skeptical of so many different groups working in harmony.

"Peacefully? No. Efficiently? Somehow, yes. Each Point wants more influence, naturally, but they also know that losing any of the other Points would be disastrous. It's a delicate balance, held together by necessity and a dash of reluctant respect. Then whole system needs more structure."

The words 'delicate balance' echoed in my mind as we finally reached the edge of Leatherwood Forest. The trees towered above us like ancient guardians, their leaves whispering secrets in a language too old for us to understand. Alara paused, her eyes meeting mine, and in that moment, I felt the weight of our mission settle upon us.

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"We might be stepping into uncharted territory," she said softly, "but remember, we're a part of something greater. We contribute to the balance, in our own way."

I nodded, filled with a renewed sense of determination. "Let's find out what's haunting this place and make it a safe territory for our city, once and for all."

Alara grinned, inspecting her dual blades with the fluid grace of a seasoned warrior. "Couldn't have said it better myself, Oliver."

As Alara and I approached the fortified boundaries of Leatherwood, I felt the anticipation building within me. The towering walls, constructed from ancient timber and mystical runes, seemed almost alive, bristling with an enigmatic energy that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. And beyond these walls lay territory newly acquired but not yet secured, a realm fraught with unpredictable dangers and lurking mysteries. It was here that we hoped to encounter the elusive shadow that had been disturbing the peace.

Alara led the way, her stride purposeful and her eyes scanning the perimeter. She was in her element—part predator, part protector. Arriving at the fort’s main entrance, Alara saluted the standing officer, a tall and imposing woman with a stern countenance. “Second level Ranger Alara reporting for duty. I have with me Probationary Nock Oliver. We are tasked with investigating and dealing with a local shadow disturbance."

The officer looked me over skeptically but nodded. "You shouldn't bring the probo here. There using this area as a blooding feild for the latest class from the academy.”

Alara's eyes flicked towards me for a moment before returning to the officer, her expression resolute. "I understand your concern, Officer," she said, her voice steady and confident. "However, Nock Oliver has shown exceptional aptitude and resilience in our training exercises. He's more than capable of handling himself out there."

The officer's gaze lingered on me, evaluating, assessing. Her eyes were like cold steel, and for a moment I feared she would deny our entry. Finally, she sighed, the stern lines of her face softening ever so slightly.

"He's your responsibility then, Ranger Alara," the officer said, her tone almost lackadaisical. "Make sure he comes back in one piece."

Alara nodded, her posture relaxing slightly. "Understood, Officer. We'll take every precaution."

I tried to mirror Alara's confidence as I met the officer's gaze. "I won't let you down, ma'am," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

The officer nodded, stepping aside to allow us passage. "Very well. You're cleared to enter. Stay sharp, both of you. We've lost good people to that shadow."

"Thank you, Officer," Alara replied, offering a crisp salute before turning to me. "Ready, Oliver?"

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as we crossed the threshold into the uncertain dangers of Aetherwood. "Ready," I affirmed, determined to prove myself in the field.

And with that, we set forth on our assignment, the fortified walls of the fort looming behind us as we ventured into the shadowed realm.

As we ventured into Aetherwood, the scene that unfolded before us resembled a battlefield. Groups of rangers were engaged in skirmishes throughout the wooded landscape. The air was filled with the clang of steel meeting steel, the hiss of arrows in flight, and the guttural cries of both humans and creatures in the heat of combat. It was a carefully coordinated chaos, each ranger serving as a cog in a larger, well-oiled machine.

Without a word, Alara summoned her Ability—a wispy, silvery manifestation which she lovingly called “Whisper.” An ability formed on the principles of stealth, specialized for reconnaissance and perfect forquiet takedowns, appeared as an almost invisible line of sand. We saw a group of rangers cornered by a pack of snarling wolf-like creatures. With a flick of her wrist, Alara sent Whisper soaring, its path unerring and its target fatally precise. One by one, the creatures fell, their demise as silent as it was swift.

“This reminds me of my first mission,” she commented, her eyes never leaving the field. “We were so green, so eager, and so unprepared for what we’d face in the real world.”

I watched in silent reverence as Alara dispatched the creatures threatening their fellow rangers. The scene before me triggered a cascade of memories, drawing me back to the inception of Alara's ability and their early days at the academy. It seemed a lifetime ago, yet every moment was etched into my mind with vivid clarity.

In those days, our training was relentless, a never-ending gauntlet designed to test the limits and push us beyond. They tried to teach us how to harness the surrounding magical energies, to weave them into tangible forces. Alara had a gift she had always been able to see the threads of power that others could not, to pull at them with a finesse that belied her bubbly exterior and infuse them into small objects.

As her ability began to take shape, Alara struggled to control its ephemeral nature. Whisper was elusive, a mere shadow of potential that slipped through her fingers like water. She would spend hours in the training yards, her brow furrowed in concentration, her every muscle tense with effort. Oliver would watch from a distance, his mind racing with ideas and theories on how she could solidify her command over the ability.

It wasn't long before he approached her with a suggestion. "What if you try binding it to your breath?" he had offered one evening, as they sat beneath the canopy of stars that graced the academy's courtyard.

Alara had looked at him, her expression skeptical. "My breath?"

"Yes," Oliver had persisted unknowingly suggesting the exact way to create an Arrow. "Your breath is a constant, a rhythm that you control without thought. If you can link Whisper to that rhythm, make it a part of you, perhaps you'll find the stability you're seeking."

She had considered his words, the idea slowly taking root. Progress was slow and often frustrating. There were moments of doubt, of anger, of near surrender. But Oliver was there through it all, his belief in Alara's strength unwavering. He became her anchor, his presence a constant reminder that she was not alone in her struggle.

Finally, after weeks of painstaking effort, Alara succeeded. Whisper responded to her command, its form stabilizing with just a few grains of sand. It became an extension of her being, a silent ally that answered her call. The first time she used it successfully, the joy in her eyes was a reward greater than any commendation the academy could bestow.

From that day forward, Alara and Whisper were inseparable. The ability grew alongside her, evolving into a force that was both beautiful and deadly. Oliver took pride in having played a part in its development, though he always knew that the true credit lay with Alara's indomitable spirit.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed snapping me out of my . A hush fell over the forest, as if the very air had thickened. Alara motioned for me to stop, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the darkening woods. And then we saw it—a shape-shifting mass of darkness lurking amongst the trees, its form ephemeral and sinister. The shadow.

This was the moment of truth, the culmination of all our preparations and the very reason we had ventured into Aetherwood. We both knew that what happened next could be a turning point for both of us, a defining moment in our respective journeys as rangers. And so, with hearts pounding and arrows at the ready, we stepped closer, bracing ourselves for the confrontation that was to come.

The shadow loomed before us, an ever-shifting void that seemed to suck the very light from the surrounding forest. My eyes met Alara's for a moment, her expression a blend of resolve and trepidation. Nodding, she took a step back, giving me room to engage the shadow directly. My mind was a swirling vortex of fear and focus, terror and tenacity. I could feel my pulse thrumming in my veins like a battle drum as I stepped forward.