Chapter 24
Darius stepped forward, dirt plating flowing up his forearms and shoulders. Siv moved the other way, rushing to Alden and Lysa's side. He took a couple of talismans and slapped them on their backs.
"You alright?" He asked, his eyes taking stock of their wounds.
The glow of the talismans steadied their breathing and blocked out the haunting whispers. Alden nodded. Lysa gritted her teeth, one hand pressed to her side, but managed a shaky nod.
Across from them, the Wraith crouched low, watching. Red veins pulsed under its skin as its power swelled. Its gaze fixed on the newcomers.
The Scourge kept an eye on it, his grip tightening around his weapon. Darius slammed his heel into the ground, the courtyard trembling as his Qi sank into the stone.
Not wasting any more time, the Scourge moved first. He darted across the courtyard and swung his blade in a wide arc. The Wraith dropped back, narrowly dodging the attack. It was about to counter when glowing talismans streaked through the air, forcing it to retreat under a barrage of small explosions.
As the salve of talisman ended, it found itself at Renna's side. Her left dagger slashed at its ribs while the second angled in for a stab.
The Wraith snarled, blocking the thrust with its blackened arm while letting the first blade cut shallowly. It caught her dagger in one clawed hand, and tried to stab Renna with the other. But the girl released the handle of her weapon and dodged to her left.
A massive rock fist burst from the ground where she'd stood, slamming into the Wraith's chest. It screeched and unleashed a wave of dark mist, the shockwave flinging Renna away, and giving it some breathing room.
But the Scourge didn't let up. The instant the air cleared, his greatsword flashed again, hammering down toward the creature's neck. The Wraith caught the blade once, twice, but had to leap away when an earth spear shot up from below.
Yet, while midair, it was pelted by another volley of talismans from Siv, each exploding on contact. When it hit the ground, even more earth spears welcomed it. The Wraith stumbled under the combined pressure, forced to defend against every angle at once.
Whatever techniques it used, it seemed like the group had a counter planned.
Its injuries were starting to pile up. The wraith was a formidable fighter, with plenty of dark Qi at its disposal, but the combination of cuts, explosions, and even earth canons proved to be too much for it.
The damage slowly overwhelmed its healing factor. And before long, they managed to corner it.
The Scourge's greatsword struck its back, launching it straight into one of Darius's earth cannons. The blast ripped its left leg apart, spinning the creature toward Renna's blades.
Two clean slashes crossed its chest, carving a deep X that glowed faintly green before spilling black smoke.
Darius clapped his hands, and two stone walls shot forward, slamming together and trapping the Wraith between them. For a moment it looked contained. But the creature still refused to die.
Balancing on a single leg, it braced its arms and forced the walls apart with a guttural roar.
From the distance, Siv smirked as a single talisman flashed in front of the wraith.
"No-!"
The following explosion of flames blasted the earth walls away. The wraith itself was sent flying into the distance, its body charred and mangled.
The Scourge was already there to meet it. His greatsword carved a glowing arc through the haze. The blade connected cleanly this time. The wraith's head went flying, while its body crashed powerlessly to the ground.
Before anyone could speak, another talisman streaked through the air and struck the severed head. The glyphs flared, lines racing inward before the paper folded in on itself.
Then the head erupted into a fiery explosion.
Alden raised his arm to shield his eyes. Once the fire died out, his gaze turned to the mangled flesh that lied motionless on the ground. Scourge, Renna, and Darius had moved to surround it.
For a long moment, no one spoke. They all observed the body for any signs of movement. Only when Darius sent two earth spikes through its torso and got no reaction did they finally relax.
Renna breathed out and plopped into the ground. Her face was streaked with sweat and traces of blood. She had been the first to fight against the wraith, and had spent nearly all her Qi.
"Finally." She said, voice tired but steady.
Scourge planted his greatsword point-down and rested both hands on the pommel. He looked tired, but still alert.
Darius on the other hand release his earth armor. He too was covered in sweat. He may not have fought the wraith for long, but the techniques he used were Qi heavy.
The courtyard had gone quiet. And for a while, the group just focused on recovering their energy. Only the wind moved now, carrying the smell of smoke and char.
Darius was the first to break the silence. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Has anyone seen Jaro?"
No one answered.
Renna looked up at him, frowning. "He was with your team."
Darius nodded slowly. "He was." His eyes drifted toward the dark streets. "But somewhere on the way, he just disappeared."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Lysa let out a quiet breath. "You think…"
"He's probably dead." Siv declared. His voice was soft, but laced with certainty. For a while, the only sound was the faint crackle of embers left from Siv's exploding talismans.
Then Scourge sheathed his sword and patted his hands. "Let's confirm it with our eyes." He said. "Let's not take chances, for all we know, he could be passed out somewhere."
Renna nodded, forcing herself up. Her hands trembled slightly, but she steadied them on the hilts of her daggers. "I agree."
Darius glanced around at the group and nodded.
They moved out slowly, exhaustion weighing on every step. No whispers followed them this time. No shapes darted between rooftops. The village had gone utterly still. Yet, the ominous feeling in the air hadn't dissipated.
"It's too quiet." Lysa murmured.
"I'll take this over hearing voices." Siv replied flatly.
They walked through the narrow alleys, following the memory of the first flare's direction. On the way, every shadow seemed to watch them pass.
At last, they reached the western edge of the village. Darius crouched low, fingers brushing the dirt. Two arrows lay half-buried nearby, shafts snapped, feathers blackened.
Darius picked up one of the arrows and turned it in his hand. "Let's keep looking around."
With a somber mood, the group of five checked the roads and alleys one by one. But they found no traces of their teammate.
By then, they had to accept reality.
"If the Wraith got him… there won't be anything left to find." Darius finally said, staring into the dark.
A moment of stillness followed. Even the air seemed to wait for something, some denial, an argument. But none came.
Alden looked down. His chest tightened, the fatigue pressing in deeper now. He hadn't known Jaro long, just two weeks, maybe three. But they'd fought together, and that was enough.
Scourge let out a heavy sigh, then straightened. "We're done here. Let's move."
"Where to?" Lysa asked.
"Let's head for the shrine." Darius said immediately. "As of now, trust nothing in this village. The chief's wife turned out to be a wraith, who knows what else could be hiding here."
No one argued. They all had their doubts.
For the village be still standing despite so much horrors brewing in it, there must be a reason. And whatever it was, they were far too spent to investigate. They may not even be qualified to do so.
Their boots dragged against the dirt as they turned south, heading toward the faint outline of the shrine visible against the starlit sky.
When they reached the open clearing, they were greeted with the sight of a modest shrine. It was a small wooden structure, barely large enough for one person to stand inside. Its timber frame was aged, darkened by years of wind and rain. The slanted roof was carved with old patterns, its eaves hung with faded ropes and charms.
Inside, resting on a raised platform, was the wardstone. It was a smooth, guitar-sized rock etched with thin, uneven grooves that pulsed faintly with white light. Cracks ran along its surface.
Darius stepped closer, scanning the area. The light from the wardstone was weak, but steady. It was still functional.
"Alright." He said softly, the exhaustion in his tone obvious. "We'll camp here. We leave as soon as the sun rises."
Siv nodded and walked ahead, setting his pack down. He began placing talismans around the perimeter, each one glowing dimly before settling into a steady blue hue that blended with the wardstone's pale light.
Renna sank to the ground near the shrine's steps, her back resting against the wooden rail. She tilted her head toward the stone, watching its faint glow pulse in rhythm with her slowing breath.
Scourge stood a little apart, leaning on his sword. His gaze drifted toward the village's edge.
Alden looked at the cracked stone, at the faint light seeping through its fractures. He felt the exhaustion creeping in. And soon, he drifted into sleep.
Outside the shrine's glow, the village lay still, buried under its own quiet. And somewhere in that silence, beyond the light, the wind shifted again.
*********************
The sun eventually peeked through the horizon. Its light filtered through the trees, soft and pale, brushing against the cracked roof of the shrine.
"Up. We're moving."
A hand lightly shook Alden awake. He blinked against the light and pushed himself up with a groan. Every muscle in his body ached. The ground had been rough, the air cold despite Siv's warding talismans. He hadn't really slept, only drifted in and out. The echoes of the Wraith's screams had haunted his mind.
When he shifted, a dull pain shot through his ribs. He suppressed a groan and pulled back the edge of his torn shirt. Faded bruises painted his skin blue and gray, but the bleeding had stopped. And so did the swelling.
"Could've been worse." He muttered.
His body wasn't unscathed, but it was healing. He didn't know how his regeneration worked exactly, but each morning, he was always grateful to have it.
By the time he got to his feet, the others were already packing up. Siv collected his talismans. Renna stretched silently, grimacing as her shoulder cracked. Lysa tied a strip of cloth around her waist to cover a fresh bandage.
No one said much.
The shrine stood quiet behind them, its wooden walls gleaming faintly in the morning light. The wardstone inside pulsed weakly, the soft glow barely visible now. Alden took one last look at it before they left.
It felt like leaving behind the only safe spot in a cursed land.
They didn't go back to see the village chief. And no one even mentioned it.
They left quietly, taking a dirt path around Greenvalley. As the shape of the village gradually faded in the distance, Siv finally broke the silence. He let out a heavy breath.
"Finally, we're out. That many Whisperers… and a Wraith on top of it. It didn't make sense."
Scourge grunted. "Yeah, I'm glad we got out. I don't think Greenvalley was a human village anymore."
At that, Darius glanced back and peered at the scarred man.
"Care to explain?"
Scourge shrugged. "With that many horrors, normally all of the villagers would have already been killed. I think the only reasons why they're still around is because the horrors are keeping them."
The information left the group silent for a while. Thinking back, even without that wraith, just the whisperers alone would have been enough to gobble up all of the villagers.
Siv adjusted the strap of his pack. "…I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they're keeping it as a farm. The Wraith drains them just enough to keep them alive. They recover, and it feeds again. Maybe it's a cycle." Then he swallowed. "There's also the possibility of them all being shapeshifters."
Those words sent a shiver down their backs. Which one of the two possibilities was worse, it was hard to tell.
"That would explain why we have been sent on a mission to investigate there first." Renna said, a hint of resentment in her voice. "The reports practically had 'horror manifestation' written all over them. And yet, the Stonewatch sent a team of apprentice cultivators to 'handle' it."
"They wanted to test waters." Darius said, letting out a sarcastic laugh.
It didn't take much to put two and two together. They have been used as a probing strike.
"Fuck." Alden cursed.
The conversation faded after that. They were too tired to speculate further. The path ahead stretched long and empty, the sun climbing higher with each step.
From the distance, a small cart rattled slowly toward them, pulled by two tired-looking beasts. The driver slowed down as he came closer.
"You're the group from Lint, right?"
Darius gave a curt nod. "That's us."
"Figured you'd be heading out early." The man said, glancing past them. "Place looked cursed when I passed by yesterday. Didn't sleep well after that."
"You were right." Darius replied curtly.
They climbed aboard without another word.
As the cart creaked forward, Alden leaned back, letting the wind brush against his face. The road stretched wide and quiet before them.