Chapter Twenty-Nine

A billowing of shadows darted through the streets of the quiet village, scouting for their master. With quiet assurance, a slip of a shadow reported back. All was clear. And out of the darkness appeared a figure cloaked in darkness.

He strode down the main street; an air of confidence saturated him, as shadows wrapped around him, hiding him from view. When he stepped foot on the cobblestone square that marked the center of town, he stopped. The shadows that had hidden him suddenly sprang away, whispering as they circled him.

The man rubbed the ring on his finger before raising his hands toward the sky. He muttered in a guttural language and the shadows circled him faster, their whispers turning to high-pitched screams.

The lanterns sputtered out, and the dark wood buildings faded to gray as the area around them drained of color. A terrible aching sound rippled through the square as if the threads of reality were being torn apart. The sound ended with silence, the utter absence of sound as a jagged black tear appeared in the air. A tear of pure darkness, an absence of light. So dark that the color of the world seemed to be pulled into it.

The silence was broken by the flapping of wings as large birds with razor sharp beaks and feathers, as dark as the void they’d appeared from, burst through the tear. Hundreds of them sprung out and soared out into the quiet town. Their orders were clear.

The rip suddenly closed with a quiet blip.

The shadows slowly settled back down, wrapping back around their master. The figure dropped his arms, his work done, and he calmly walked back out of town, as if all was normal. As if chaos and death hadn’t just been brought forth.

#

Ethan had paid for two rooms. Cyrus, Ethan and Myles split the first while Sloane, Moira, and Duke shared the second. The evening had decayed into several rounds of drinks and deep discussion on the benefits of the internet. Each debate getting more ridiculous than the last.

Sloane slumped down onto her bed and sighed happily. “Finally, a real bed.” Moira laughed and leaned back onto the pillows. It wasn’t the best bed she’d ever slept on, but after a week of sleeping on the ground, it felt pretty heavenly.

Duke spun around in several circles, pawing at the quilted cover before settling down next to Moira.

Smack!

A loud bang hit the window. Moira shot up, sword already in hand. Duke barked once, ears perked. Another bang thundered against the glass. This time it sounded sharper, as if someone was hitting the window with a knife. Moira peered out the window. The soft light in the room contrasted with the night, making it tough to see anything but her own reflection; the light in the room causing a glare. She leaned closer, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was causing the sound.

Crack!

The glass cracked, like a lightning bolt, spreading into spiderweb cracks. Moira backed away as whatever it was hit the window a final time. The window shattered. Glass ricocheted into the room. Sloane screamed and Moira threw up her hands as the shards of glass sliced into her arms, leaving rivulets of blood.

Something dove into the room. The light stuttered and went out as the creature entered. The air in the room grew colder, and Moira shivered as she searched for the creature. Sloane pressed her back against hers, knives raised. It swooped down towards them, clawing at her face as it passed.

Moira batted it away with her sword just before its claws dug into her cheek. It was a bird. She’d caught a look as it dive-bombed her face. Dark as midnight with vicious claws. The bird dove through the shadows, disappearing and then reappearing across the room, plunging toward Sloane.

Sloane met its beak with her knife, lobbing off the sharp point, leaving only a jagged remnant behind. It squawked in fury, slipping back into a shadow. Moira sliced down diagonally just as it exited the shadow. It narrowly dodged the sword, the slice just catching the edge of its tail feathers.

It angled back towards Sloane, swooping down towards her. She flicked her wrist, sending her knife flying toward the bird. It screeched as her knife pierced its right wing. The bird flapped, lopsidedly spinning with its one good wing. Moira darted forward, slamming her sword through the shadow bird’s neck. It fell to the ground with a solid thump.

Moira slumped against the bed frame. “What the hell was that?”

Sloane shook her head. The notification answered for them.

Ding!

Congratulations! You have assisted in defeating the Void Bird.

“Void bird.”

“Oh gods. We have to warn the others.”

They moved toward the door. An awful, life-ending scream stopped them in their tracks.

“The village,” Sloane said, fear visible on her face as they stared out the window.

The door burst open. Cyrus stood in the entryway, sword slung low on his hip, hair mussed by sleep. Ethan and Myles stood behind him. Both looked like they’d just woken up, their clothes haphazardly thrown on.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“We were attacked,” Sloane said breathlessly. “It was a void bird.”

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“Shit,” Cyrus growled.

Another horrifying scream echoed from outside. They all turned and looked out the shattered window.

“Get changed.”

Moira and Sloane quickly threw on their armor and exited the tavern. Duke whined. The screams were getting louder and more frequent.

Ding!

Quest: Save the villagers from the void birds.

Reward dependent on survivors.

“Did you guys just get that quest?” Moira asked as they ran. The part about survivors felt ominous.

“Yes,” Cyrus said darkly. “This won’t be good. Prepare yourselves for the worst.

“Don’t let the birds bite you. A single bite, and that’s it.” Myles said, turning to Sloane and Moira. “Save who you can, but don’t take stupid risks.” They nodded mutely.

“Myles, Sloane, and Ethan take the south side. Moira and I will take the north. Be careful.”

Cyrus took the lead, heading for the north side of town. Moira and Duke followed. Towards the screaming.

The void birds swarmed the sky. The night grew darker as they blocked out the moon. A frantic help drew the three of them into a small two-story home made of fiery red bricks. They ran through the remnants of a broken-down door. Moira stumbled slightly over the shattered wood, caught off guard by the pure explosive damage.

The home looked like a bomb had gone off. Plates and broken glass were scattered across the floor. The remains of the family table, broken irreparably and pressed against the wall. Half-burned pictures fluttered down from the ceiling.

Dread filled her stomach.

“Please. Anyone. Help,” a woman’s voice pleaded from upstairs.

Without a thought or plan, the three of them thundered up the stairs, dodging broken steps. On the last step, a dwarf lay, half pushed up against the wall, with empty glassy eyes. Dead.

A dwarven woman stood lodged between the half-collapsed doorway of a room. In one arm she clutched a small child, in the other arm, shaking from pain and exertion, an axe. Deep claw marks were gouged across her shoulder blade, rendering her arm nearly useless. It was a miracle that she was still holding up the axe at all.

“Help. I can’t…” the woman stuttered, wavering on the verge of collapse.

Void birds swarmed her. Darting in and out of space to slice down at her with their claws. They were playing with her.

Moira leapt into action, drawing her short sword in one hand as she cast Creeping Vines. If they could just get the birds under control, they’d be able to cut them down more quickly.

For the first time, the spell actually worked. Dark green vines grew from the wooden floor, reaching for the void birds, successfully grasping onto half of them before they phased away.

The birds squirmed angrily within the vine’s grasp, cawing in displeasure.

“It’ll only last a couple minutes.”

Cyrus nodded grimly, unsheathing his greatsword and getting to work, slicing the trapped birds apart.

Duke and Moira stood back frozen for a moment. They watched as Cyrus used his blade with uncanny speed and precision. The grace and power each slash held was like watching art.

When Cyrus paused, Moira and Duke took over. Slicing back at the void birds, carefully avoiding their beaks.

Within minutes, dead birds lay scattered across the wood floor in clumps of feathers and dark oozing blood.

The dwarven woman finally collapsed to the ground, utterly spent, her child still wrapped tightly in her arms.

“I—thank you,” she gasped. “Is—is my Edward. Is he alive?” she asked, limply gesturing behind them to the dwarf lying dead against the stairs.

Tears welled up in Moira’s eyes as she heard the trembling desperation in the woman’s voice, that she dared to hope. Moira swallowed as she looked down at the body. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t tear that hope away.

Cyrus placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and crouched down next to the widow. “I’m sorry. He’s gone.”

The faint light left in her eyes deadened. Her hope banished, and reality crashing in. The quiet child in her arms began wailing. She looked down at her child, as if shocked to see it there. A blank expression plastered across her face.

Cyrus approached slowly, like one would a skittish animal. Placing his hands on her shoulders. “Hey. We’re here. You’re alive. You’re child’s alive. But we need to get out of here before more attack. Can you do that?”

Her eyes flickered down to the child in her arms, faint recognition across her features.

“We were just eating dinner. I’d made my mother’s lamb. I—don’t—I—how did,” she petered off.

“Cyrus. She’s in shock.”

He grimly nodded back. “We need to get them out of here.”

Moira pulled a health potion from her Inventory. “Here. Take this,” she said, pouring the potion into her mouth and watching as the wound across her shoulder slowly sealed up.

“That won’t do anything for the shock.”

“No. But it couldn’t hurt. Could it?”

“Just—this will be a long night. We need to conserve them.”

A gasp interrupted them. Horror etched across the woman’s face as she pointed a shaking hand behind them.

A gust of black dust billowed into the air, right where her husband had been lying.

“He was bitten,” Cyrus said. “They must be weak if it took that long for him to dissolve.”

“Oh god. That’s what happens when you’re bitten?”

He nodded. “With the stronger ones, it happens in less than a minute. With Achlys—it was just a scratch. Do not get bitten.” He met her gaze, holding eye contact.

Flapping wings fluttered against the window. They all turned at the noise.

Cyrus grabbed the woman’s arm. “Come on. We need to go now.”

She didn’t move. Cyrus looked at Moira, frustration plagued his face.

Moira strode forward. “I’m sorry about this,” she said as she slapped the woman square in the face.

Anger flashed across her face. Good. Angry was better than dead.

Moira yanked her forward and down the stairs, Cyrus, right behind her.

Duke barked once in warning as another group of void birds entered the house.

Cyrus and Duke cut them down quickly. Thankfully, there’d only been five.

Moira turned toward the woman. “You and your son need to hide. There are more out there. Is there anywhere you can go? Someplace safe?”

“There’s a—shelter in case of monster hordes down the road,”

“Lead the way.” Cyrus gestured forward as he eyed the sky.