The group left the Isle of Shadows as quickly as they could, navigating the choppy waters back to the mainland. The omen of their recent contact with the ancient power of the island weighed upon them heavily, like a black cloud, while the loss of the final fragment of the Aether was hard to take. Physically and mentally drained, there was no rest to be had. The Order could just as well have been aware that something was wrong on the island, and John knew there was every reason for them to brace for anything forward.
It was ominous with foreboding, the air thick with foreboding, as they came back to the little coastal village. The quiet, quaintest little village that had before been encountered now almost felt charged with unnatural energy. The villagers, who were so friendly and hospitable, were now aloof and ill at ease, as if they too could feel the very darkness that was about to descend.
John, Evelyn, Caleb, and Dr. Whitmore all marched to the inn where they had spent the night. The old woman, their landlady, came out to meet them with a troubled face, aged but kind eyes full of concern.
"Do you fare well?" she asked, in a little quavering voice. "There's been talk of strange happenings—people say they've seen shadows moving in the night, there are those that think folks disappear not far from here?.
Evelyn cast a furtive glance at John, and he knew then he would have to say, "We had some trouble," in a really careful, roundabout way. "But we manage. Only, we want to sleep somewhere for a few hours."
The woman innkeeper nodded, her concern all too evident, but she held her peace and conducted them toward their rooms. After that, they quickly made all necessary arrangements, allowing themselves time to pause and regroup their plan.
John sat in the near dark on his bed, his mind racing. They had finally gotten close, retrieved the last bit of the Aether, only to have it slip through their fingers. The island's power was now unleashed, and the Order was sure to be moving at this very moment. He knew if they were going to have any hope of stopping them, they would have to remain one step ahead.
Evelyn entered, her face pale and drawn. "We need to figure out our next move, John. We can't let the Order get their hands on the Aether."
John nodded, his jaw clenched. "We need to regroup with the others and figure out where the Order will strike next. They're not going to give up easily, and we can't afford to be caught off guard.
Ashley and Dr. Whitmore entered to join them. An undercurrent of tension was oozing from the room. "We have been watching the movement of the Order. They have mobilized their forces, and it looks like they are about to do something big."
"We've got to wreck whatever they have in mind before those can develop fully," Dr. Whitmore put in with a serious face. "The Aether is the gem of their strength; if they could manage to utilize it, who knows what level of devastation they could perform."
John stood, his eyes set in resolve. "Then we meet them. We gather all we can, and we strike before they've a chance to regroup."
As the discussion of their strategy had been taking place, a loud crash from outside had jarred them. John moved to the window to find a small crowd of shadowy figures moving around the periphery of the village. These figures sent a chill through John's body.
They've found us," he muttered, his heart pounding in his chest. "The Order is here."
Evelyn quickly grabbed her gear, her eyes flashing with determination. "We have to get out of here. We can't let them pin us down.
Now standing at the door, Caleb and Dr. Whitmore seemed to be armed to teeth. Steady, strong voice: "We'll keep them busy as long as possible, but we have to get to the rest and regroup.".
Quick to make their way through the inn, the group slipped out the back door and into the village's winding, narrow alleys. They moved very quickly as dark figures chased them; they were getting closer, but John's group matched their determination and increased their pace.
They moved through the village with the sort of practiced efficiency that experience of every kind with a battleground could teach them, an efficiency now permeated with the dark in their favor. But shadows seemed everywhere now, and it was clear that the Order had anticipated their escape route.
When they finally approached the very edge of the village, he caught a figure draped in darkness and standing at the very edge. Its eyes seemed to glow with unnatural light, while the air around it rippled with malevolent energy; he felt that raw power was coming off of it.
"You can never run away from your destiny." the figure hissed, his voice enough to grate a chalkboard. "The Aether will be ours, and no one can stop it."
John clutched his weapon harder and narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that."
In one swift motion, they were off and matching the entity in their fury-filled fight. The shadows seemed to take on a life of their own-twisting, writhing around them. The figure was quick-fleet, swift in fluid unpredictability. But John's team was tenacious, relentless and without relenting.
The battle raged on, with test after test of nerve and skill, until finally, just as the figure's forces seemed about to gain the upper hand, its intimidating, ear-piercing scream rocked the area, and shadows around it exploded outward, knocking his opponents off their feet.
With the dust settled, the figure had disappeared; again, the village was quiet. Bruised and battered, the group picked themselves up but unbeaten.
"We have to keep moving," Evelyn said, her voice strained but determined. "We cannot let them slow us down."
John nodded, his mind already running ahead with what they would do next. They had made it through this incident, but he knew the worst was yet to come. The Order was growing in power, and the battle for the Aether was far from decided.
It was a way out of the village into the forest beyond, not able to get rid of this feeling that it was right into a storm-a storm testing their wills, strength, and even survival. The Order was relentless, and they would stop at nothing to claim the Aether's power.
But John was equally resolved. He had seen the darkness that the Aether could bring and would do anything to see that it never fell into the wrong hands.
The storm was gathering, and John Spart was about to barge right into it.