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Author's Chapter Notes:

A hunting trip is interrupted by a malevolent force deep in the woods. Arrc finds that terror is on the offensive and it is capable of cruelty beyond his comprehension.

    The morning came quick for Arrc as he silently arose from bed and made his way to the front door. He stopped to check on Meka really quick before he headed out for the day. She hadn't said a word since their mother had spoken about the abduction of Fimir. She remained asleep, clutching her blanket as her chest rose and fell with each slow breathe.


    Arrc grabbed his bow from the corner of the room and tossed his satchel over his shoulder. He had preferred to hunt with a spear that he had fashioned after an old pitchfork when he was younger, but considering the rising danger he thought it best to keep everything at a safe distance today. He looked around the room once more, checking for anything he might have forgotten, at least that's what he told himself, but the truth was that he was a little frightened to leave the comfort of his house this morning. He took a deep breathe, turned to face the door and walked through it.


    "Hey!"
    Arrc jumped back, he fought to urge to punch the man in front of him, "Don't do that, Triv!" he yelled back, clutching his fists. "People are still sleeping inside, dammit!"
    "That so?" Triv said, tilting his head in a mocking gesture, "Or was it just because I scared the shit out of you?"
    "Not scared, just startled me is all."
    "Don't let him get you all worked up, Arrc" came a voice from above. A moment later a young woman wearing dyed black clothing and a leather mask over her nose and mouth. Her brown hair hung just below her ears, "Besides, he's an asshole."
    "Thanks, Kova. I can only imagine what you say about me when I'm not around." Triv replied, "So is this it or are we waiting for your little friends?"
    Arrc had hoped to hunt in a group today and Kova's so called little friends would be a welcome addition. If they were the friends that he was thinking of, they were part of a group known as the Sharp Shadows, a highly skilled band of assassins that had often times been employed by the Travinipol government behind closed doors. Kova had been apart of the order since she was a small child and having grown up an orphan had left little discussion in the matter. Arrc remembered her telling him of the first time she killed a man. She had been nine years-old and she had received a vicious beating before burying a dagger in the man's eye socket.


    "They're here." Kova replied, looking to the trees around her, "Aren't you, guys?"
    The three of them were quickly surrounded as a group of five Sharp Shadows dropped fom the trees. Three of them were men while the other two were women, but in their dark leather garbs, it was hard to tell who was what.
    "These three are Sade, Mer and Quin." Kova said, addressing the three men, "And those two are Luce and Nox."
    Suddenly Arrc felt a whole lot safer as he turned to acknowledge the group around him.
    "You guys are assassins, why bother hunting animals with us?" Triv asked.
    "Because even assassins need to eat." Kova replied, "And these five could use some practice before taking a human life."
    Triv simply shrugged and started to talk down the narrow road. Arrc fell in behind him while Kova and her group disappeared.
    "Don't worry. We'll be right behind you." Kova spoke from the trees.
    They had followed the road for about an hour before turning into the vast forests. Arrc readied his bow while Triv gripped his javelin.
    It wasn't long before they spotted a small group of deer. Triv looked to Arrc and nodded. He notched an arrow and slowly pulled back, careful not to make a sound. He took aim and-
    There was a sound of metal hitting bone and the group of deer fell to the ground. A moment later Kova dropped from the trees and turned to look back at Triv and Arrc. The two men sighed and shrugged as they steadied their weapons and walked forward.


    "Could have at least told us you were going to do that." Triv said.
    "An assassin tells when she is about to kill?"
    "No, but a fellow hunter does." Triv said in an aggravated tone, "Arrc could have put an arrow through your skull."
    Kova chuckled, "Not likely. No offense." she then jerked the small blades from the deer, "Besides, I'm not the one who killed them."
    Another Sharp Shadow fell from the tree, one of the women that Kova had introduced as Nox. Arrc noticed that she was the smallest of the group and looked to be only a couple years older than his own sister.
    "Nice kill." Kova said, handing the blades back to the small woman.
    Nox bowed her head before accepting the weapons. When she looked up she noticed a sort of black smoke creeping along the forest floor. Kova noticed the surprised look in the girls eyes and turned to see what was happening.
    By now even Arrc and Triv had turned to see a giant ball of smoke hovering above the grass.


    "What is that?" Triv asked, keeping his eyes locked on it, "Smoke?"
    "I've never seen smoke act like that before." Arrc replied.
    Suddenly, the ball of black smoke burst outward sending dark tendrils in their direction. The inky tentacles weaved through the brush, reaching for them with unbelievable speed.


    "Retreat!' Kova shouted, jumping high into the trees.
    Above them they could could hear the rest of the Shadows leaping from branch to branch. Arrc turned to Triv and without a word they began running.
    Arrc tried to see the road ahead of him, but could only see more forest. In truth he had no idea if the road would even matter at this point. Whatever was after them was obviously intent on a relentless pursuit. The Travinipol sentries hardly ever patrolled this far along the road and even if they did, Arrc imagined they too would be running.


    The dark tendrils continued to slide along the forest floor, wrapping around trees and continuing to reach onward. Arrc was terrified of the smoke itself, but had no intention of finding out what was behind their presence.
    He continued to hear the rustling of trees and only hoped that it was Kova or her group and not the enemy. Triv had already managed to pull ahead of him, not even looking back he wondered if his friend would even stop if he had been captured.


    Arrc pushed the thoughts from his mind and picked up speed. Ahead of him he finally saw the road, but felt only minor relief. He suddenly gasped at the sound of a falling tree. He thought he also heard someone scream, but couldn't be sure and chose not to stop.


    Kova and her group dropped onto the road in front of them, obviously having the same idea that Arrc had. When he and Triv finally caught up with them they all stopped and turned.
    "They seem to have slowed." Kova said.
    "Thank the- wait!" Arrc turned quickly, surveying the group, "Someone's missing!"
    Kova quickly took a mental roll-call, "Luce!"

    She stepped forward to head back into the forest when suddenly a burst of light blinded the whole group. They put their arms over their eyes, but it was like staring into the sun. Finally after a moment the light died.
    "Sentac!" Triv yelled.


    A group of three Sentac stood before them, their armor gleaming in the sun, almost amplifying it. Arrc was shocked by their beauty, but also feared their power. One of the Sentac stepped forward, her hair was white and cut just below her chin. Her armor wrapped around her like steel vines leaving little to the imagination. Her figure was perfection as was that of all Sentac. She reached her arm out and opened her hand to reveal the woman known as Luce, now a mere two inches in height.
    "Luce! No!" Kova screamed.
    The Sentac spoke, sending an echo that seemed to ring inside their heads, "Kneel or parish."
    The tiny woman began to yell, "Run! Just run, dammit!"


    The Sentac looked to her small captive with an emotionless face. She tipped her hand, dropping Luce to the ground. Before the woman could make an escape she found herself in the shade as the Sentac raised her foot, her exposed toes wiggling above her. She screamed once and closed her eyes. The Sentac's foot slammed into her tiny body, crushing her underneath. She twisted her foot, sending out a series of crunches. The evil woman then closed her eyes and began to chant. Soon after the two Sentac behind her began to do the same.


    Arrc and the rest could only watch in horror, shocked at what they had witnessed and hoping they would not be next as the three Sentac continued to chant.


    Finally, a small whispy form rose from Luce's body. The girl's spirit, terrified and confused, rose upward towards the Sentac's face. The Sentac inhaled deeply, pulling the whispy form into her mouth and not stopping until it was all the way inside. She shut her lips and swallowed hard, sending Luce's soul into her body.
    "What is this sorcery!?" Triv gasped.
    "What-...No!" Kova yelled, lunging forward.


    It was then that they all heard a loud crack of thunder, "Back!" came a voice.
    The group turned to see a large sphere of black and purple liquid. The sphere began to pull everything toward it, the sound it made deafened them all. Behind the sphere stood a cloaked figure, his hand on each side of the resonating globe, "In! Now!" he yelled as one by one they began to run towards it, having no other option but to trust the mysterious man. Triv was first, vanishing as soon as he reached for the sphere, "Hurry!"


    The rest of the group looked at one another and then quickly reached into the sphere. The Sentac used their dark smoke tendrils to reach for the man, but he too vanished before they could grasp him. The black and purple sphere caved in on itself and just like that, silence once again took over the forest.
    The Sentac gritted her teeth, angered by the loss of her prey.
    "Matters not. They all die in the end." she said as the trio vanished into black smoke.

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