Ch.4

I reached into my satchel, pulling out pre-prepared capsules filled with a substance that acted like an acid to shadows. Years of studying underbelly folktales had revealed that these kinds of creatures despised the mixture of salt, hawthorn, and alchemic solvent. I had rigged each capsule to burst upon impact, instead of the designed use to create a perimeter around the enemy.

Taking a deep breath, I tossed the first capsule into the air, using a small slingshot to aim it toward the shadow's left flank. The capsule hit its mark and burst, releasing its contents in a sizzling spray. The shadow recoiled, its form wobbling as if in pain, but it did not retreat. Gritting my teeth, I sent another capsule flying toward its right side, then another at its rear, each bursting and sizzling as they hit. Slowly, I could see the creature being hemmed in by the corrosive barriers I had created.

However, despite my preparations, I had underestimated the resilience of the shadow. Angered, it surged forward, breaking through the acidic barrier as if it were nothing more than an annoyance. I barely had time to sidestep its lunging form, feeling a cold, dark tendril slice against my arm as I dodged. A sensation of numbing cold spread from the point of contact, and my heart sank. My traps had failed to slow it.

Just as I was bracing myself for the end, a tingling sensation radiated from my chest, the place where I'd been marked. A wave of energy surged through me, and I felt my body start to regenerate at an accelerated rate. The numbing cold in my arm receded, pushed back by a newfound warmth that spread through my limbs. Realizing this was my chance, I gathered the remaining capsules in my hand and, using the last ounces of my strength, hurled them directly at the shadow.

The shadow, confounded by the persistent assault, began to retreat, hissing and spitting like a cornered serpent. My heart hammered in my chest, the excitement mingled with fear as he watched the darkness shrink, quivering under the might of his unconventional weaponry. Beside me, Alara's eyes glinted with a fierce determination, her hand gripping the hilt of one of her blades, Whisper being of no use here against a non-physical entity.

The creature, sensing perhaps that the tide of battle was turning against it, gave a final, ear-splitting shriek before turning in flight. It moved with unnatural speed, slipping through the underbrush into an empty river basin rull of crumbled buildings and overgrown streets of a city that had once teemed with life but now lay in ruins, a casualty of the wars that had ravaged the land.

Alara and I exchanged a brief nod before sprinting after the fleeing specter, our boots pounding against the cracked pavement. We leapt over gnarled roots that had burst through the ground, darted around toppled statues, and skirted wide fissures that spoke of ancient seismic upheavals.

The pursuit led them to the New Wall, a colossal structure that rose like a behemoth, its surface gleaming with glyphs and runes designed to keep the monstrous entities of the wilderness at bay. But it was not infallible. The shadow creature, with its body of smoke and deception, found a narrow crack within the wall - a breach unnoticed by the sentinels and the masons.

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As the shadow slipped through the crack into the wilds beyond, Alara and I reached the wall. They halted for the barest of moments to observe the separation between the urban decay and the unbridled wilderness that stretched out before them like a canvas of greens and browns.

I jumped forward to catch the shadow before it escapes only for Whisper to appear catching me, stopping me. Exhausted but elated, I turned to Alara. Her eyes met mine, filled with a mixture of relief and hesitance.

“Why?” I asked gasping for breath trying to calm my pounding heart.

Alara looked at me for a moment before pointing at the rock that I would have impaled myself on if I had finished the jump. “You have to pay more attention to your surroundings.”

“How could there be crack in the wall? Wasn’t that the An inborn ability to put up those walls?” I questioned still irritated by my rookie mistake.

“Somethings not right here. We have to get back to report this.” Alara exclaimed before turning around and running back ast speeds I could barely keep up with.

As we rushed back toward the towering wall that marked the boundary of Leatherwood, the earth beneath us gave a sudden, ominous groan. A sinking sensation filled my gut, moments before the ground literally sank away, sending Alara and me plummeting into the darkness below. My breath caught in my throat as we fell, our descent cushioned by an abrupt thump onto a solid, albeit dusty, floor.

Grimacing, I rose to my feet, helping Alara up as well. We found ourselves in what appeared to be an ancient research facility, its walls lined with dusty shelves, scientific apparatus, and cobweb-covered relics. Flickering, luminescent glass embedded in the ceiling provided scant illumination, revealing a labyrinth of corridors and chambers with two doors to leave our current room through.

To my surprise, there was already a group in the chamber, and not just any group—Darian and his entourage. They must have fallen through another trapdoor and had been exploring this underground maze.

"Well, well, if it isn't Oliver the Failed and his illustrious babysitter," Darian sneered, his eyes alight with malicious amusement. His cronies chuckled in agreement. I noticed that Darian was flaunting a peculiar charm hanging from his neck, something new since the last time I'd seen him. A token from his family, no doubt.

"Ranger we are in uncharted territory," Alara replied, her eyes narrowing. "I suggest you let go of your petty squables and act with the professionalism expected of a Ranger."

"Professionalism is for subordinates not leaders," Darian retorted, his voice thick with arrogance. "And this is nothing but a brief, fascinating detour to me."

“Shut up Darian, not all of us have a family to defend us from the backlash of antagonising a higher ranked Ranger.” Elysia called out, trying to head off the coming argument.

“We should be working together” Lucian speaks up.

"Detours usually lead somewhere," I said, completely ignoring Elysia and Lucian to deliver a sick burn. "but if you're leading, I doubt it's anywhere good."

Darian's face flushed a deeper shade indicating how my verbal battling skills are. "Have fun rummaging through the trash," he spat, turning on his heels. "Come on, guys, let's leave the academy dropout and the errand girl to their busy work." Without waiting for a reply, he marched off, his entourage scurrying to keep up.