Shadowbane

Slightly turning the handle, I'm immediately met with resistance.

As expected, the damn thing is locked. Asking those guards back there for help is not even a viable option, and smashing this door down is also something I don't want to consider. It's best if the killer doesn't know that anyone is on their trail. The shutters are closed too, although that one makes sense whether a killer walked through here or not.

Rounding around the side of the home, I'm once again met with a brightly lit street.

Yeah... No way I'll be able to use my aura in this town. What a pain in the ass.

Peeking around the corner, I see there are footprints leaving the front of the home, but there are no blotches of blood anymore.

They probably cleaned up inside. I need to talk to Jasper, someone here must have a master key to this place. Worst case scenario I could jump down through the chimney but... Ugh, I really don't want to do that. The last time I did that I got stuck because the craftsmen made the bottom half smaller.

A bright flash appears from far off to the other side of the village, followed by a loud boom.

Thunder huh? I didn't know it could thunder while snowing, but maybe I forgot that part of my childhood? I swear the first time I heard thunder was in Xelba... Eh, I must be remembering wrong.

Also, I found it odd that nobody was around despite the fact that this place was brightly lit, but now I see the eyes peeking out at me through one pair of barely opened shutters.

I walk up to the home across the street from this one, calling out to the lady peering out at me.

"Miss, did you see who exited this home?"

The shutters are instantly closed.

"Good talk, thanks."

That went about as well as I expected, but I guess I can't blame her. There is a monster eating people here, and then some weird girl with white hair and red eyes appears at the edge of town asking her questions. Speaking of which, why are there no walls protecting them from the forest side of town? People like the lady living here will be the first ones attacked, and despite that obvious fact, I don't see any watchtowers either... This is all very bizarre. Who the hell leaves their most vulnerable part of town wide open? While I really need to convene with Jasper to ask him about this, I'm going to keep following the prints for now.

Analyzing the prints as I follow them, all I learn is that they are the same kind of medium-sized boots all villagers everywhere wear. Not that I had much hope for the killer owning a higher-quality boot with a unique tread, but that would have made things much easier if they did. At least I know the size so I can narrow it down a little... Better than nothing.

Eventually the prints come out to one of the main streets that has both villagers and guards running around with torches in hand. Even the villagers are fully equipped, must have been a call to arms since all the true Guards were gone.

Well, this is far as I can track him. The whole street has been stomped so much that the snow is nearly nonexistent, so no more prints. Nothing more I can do here, looks like it's time to go meet up with Jasper.

"Find anything girl?" Godwin asked as I enter the temple. He's seated across from Jasper, with no one else in sight.

"Just you two? Also yeah, I found something alright. Not sure you're going to like it though."

"Oh how fucking wonderful, more problems." Godwin throws his hands up in the air.

"... Did something happen?"

"The wagon's wheels are in dire need of repairs. The ice wasn't thick enough, so the wagons in front kept breaking through, forced to grind through it until they went back up, repeating like that until we met the supply caravan. Most of the wheels used in these parts aren't designed for rough roads. Also, all of the good carriages that were in storage are missing." Jasper replied.

"Missing? You mean they were stolen. Which sounds bad by itself, but can't you just replace the wheels and keep going?"

"Normally yes. However..." Jasper sighs.

"Those are gone too. The carriages, the wheels, most of the fucking supplies. That prick of a mayor is responsible, I can feel it. I told you we should have cut his legs off and strung him up as a warning!" Godwin yells.

"... That aside, what did you find?" Jasper said.

"I followed the monster's prints behind a tree, where they disappeared into a sea of human prints. However, I found a lone pair of human prints walking along the hedges until they entered the back of a home. Additionally, that home was one of the only places I've seen without any lights activated. The tracks also had a blotch of blood on their right heel."

"You... Wait, hang on." Jasper put his head in his hands. "Are you suggesting that this reportedly massive monster turned into a human, and is hiding its presence inside of town?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Now that's a new one... Even for me." Godwin rubbed his chin.

The doors in the back of the temple open up, revealing Markus and Aresa as they begin walking this way.

"I heard that and all your bitching Godwin, what are your plans? This is no longer Templar business, but I'll aid where I can until we are able to leave. The rest of my unit needs to continue praying to the artifact, so it's only me for now."

"Simple. I'm going to hack parts off of the Mayor till he tells us where he is hiding my wagons and supplies. Those belong to the Guardians, not that corrupt shitbag."

"Are you certain? Such a choice will have vast ramifications. You may even lose your position as one of the three heads of the Guardians. If you're planning to retire, then I suppose this isn't a bad way to go out. It will help us greatly, so I'll just pretend I didn't see anything. Without those wagons, parts, and supplies, I think we're stuck here till Viseux can send a procession out." Markus replied.

I lean over, whispering to Jasper, "Guardians?"

"The Guardian Guild, created back when Viseux was first established. They have branches in all the main towns. The Templars are trained with the Guardians in the same location. With their mana levels and abilities, they are far stronger than the average town guard. Needless to say, they are necessary for problems such as this monster. Villagers won't be able to handle such a beast. We took all the Guardians with us to establish the Kitsune's new home, believing Thule would be fine till we could return, but, well... That was wishful thinking apparently."

Branches from the tree outside began scraping along the window as another blast of thunder rings out, making Aresa jump in surprise.

"The wind is picking up hard out there... I've never seen branches from that tree scrape the Temple before. Nor have I ever seen snow before now for that matter. Multiple firsts in a row for a forty-eight year old man, I don't like the implications." Markus said.

*tap tap*

As usual, everyone looks at Aresa.

{I can feel something out there. Far away, where the lightning is occurring, there is... Something.}

"Can you be a little more specific Lady Aresa?" Godwin said.

{No, I'm sorry. All I know is that I feel the strong pulse of ether from it.}

"Ether..." Markus said, his face taking on a grave tone.

Only Eldritch and Demons use ether. Everyone else takes ether from the air and turns it into mana, but beings from the other realms use ether. Although a few demons like Satyrs use mana for some reason, not sure what that's about.

"It could be an ether storm, which would explain the lightning. I've never seen one before but with how crazy the weather is right now, I wouldn't be surprised if ether is running wild on the southern parts of Urza that are buried under these dark clouds." Jasper said.

{... Maybe.}

Aresa held the board up, not looking convinced at all.

"Alright, we're heading to the guild. The branch managers office on the third floor is almost entirely glass on the side you're sensing the ether from. We can eat there while keeping an eye on this 'storm'." Godwin said, standing up and immediately walking out of the temple.

Everyone else followed suit, including me. Although I waited for Aresa to go ahead so I could line up behind her, it's not safe for her to be in the back of the line right now with that unknown monster in town. It seems Markus had the same idea since he's now walking behind me.

Upon walking outside, I'm genuinely surprised at how strong the wind is. Everyone is pushing through it just fine, but Aresa is having a hard time with all the snow blowing into her face.

As quick as I can, I pull some blood out and create a medium-sized cloth with it, holding it in front of her face, "Here, hold this for now. I'll make it into an umbrella or something later."

She grabs the cloth, holding it out in front of her as I put my hands on her shoulders to steer her. There are no holes in that cloth after all, but it's not like she could see before, so now she's at least not being pelted in the face with snow.

Thankfully it didn't take long to reach the guild, possibly because everyone was going out of their way to avoid our group.

Once inside, Godwin headed straight for the stairs, while the rest of us shook off the snow first. The man at the counter looked quite annoyed that Godwin was getting snow everywhere, but I'm guessing he can't say anything to him since he's one of the guild's leaders.

Aresa held the board up past her nose, so I could only see her eyes. {Umbrella?}

"Don't worry, I'll make it before you need to go back out there." I said, ruffling her hair to get the snow out.

After removing all the snow, we followed after Godwin up the stairs, passing by most of the men in his unit, along with plenty of villagers drinking beer and eating dinner. These guilds must also operate as taverns? Makes sense, this is probably the safest place in town to drink and relax.

The end of the stairs on the third floor leads directly to a door. Jasper walks inside, revealing Godwin who is already lounging on the couch in his underwear.

"... By all means, make yourself at home Father."

"Bah! I'm old, tired, and wet from the snow. Let me relax when I can. Besides, Lady Aresa doesn't mind, right?"

Aresa seemed more bothered by the question than his appearance. She looked back at me for help.

"I'm used to it, most of my unit sat around in their underwear. It was really hot in Xelba after all, not that it meant anything to me."

Markus scoffed, "The ladies aside, I am disgusted by this. Disgusting old fool, don't make me witness such a sight in this already bleak environment."

As the two begin bickering, I can't help but marvel at everything around me.

This room is huge... What the hell kind of benefits do you get for being a branch manager for a supposed defense force? Godwin nor Jasper seem like the corruptible type, but having an entire third floor to yourself filled with way too many expensive looking objects just screams corruption. Like that candle-holder over there, is that entirely made of gold?!

"Where is the branch manager? Who from all appearances is five hundred times richer than anyone else I've seen since waking up here." I ask, sitting down in a gilded rocking chair.

"Dead. I cut his hands off and strung his ass up to one of those giga-trees out back. He did some unsanctioned... remodeling. This third floor used to be the war room as it is in all guardian guilds. The mayor is next after we weather whatever storm is coming our way." Godwin said.

Ahh... Well, that explains it.

"Speaking of those trees, why are there no walls back there? No watchtowers either."

"Thule was the trading post between the Kitsune and the rest of Urza, excluding the Crotia and Xelba of course. The Kitsune god created the forest for Thule as a sign of friendship. The peanuts everyone on Urza eats are made from seeds that fall off those trees. Also, no monsters dare approach the forest, for reasons unknown. You'd have to ask the creator, who has been dead for a very long time now." Jasper said.

"I see, thank you. That answers both my questions. On another note, if something really does attack Thule, then I'm going to focus on the monster in town. It's going to be difficult for me to take it out alone, although I'm basing this entirely off the size of the creature; it may in fact be weak but I severely doubt it will be. Anyways, it's best I search for the beast which will most likely take advantage of all the chaos in town. It might even attack you from behind if you have to defend the town from whatever is creating that storm."

"I agree, but in all honestly, I'm hoping it stays dormant. However, as you say, there's a good chance it won't." Markus said.

Aresa sits down on the main desk next to me.

{Need help?}

"It would be difficult for me to protect you and fight a speedy large monster, even with you feeding me mana. People can only enhance themselves so far and it would only protect me... I know you have a powerful barrier, but I'm better off alone in this case."

{I know. Figured I'd ask just in case.}

"Instead, I would ask for your assistance once more Lady Aresa. If it comes to that, we're going to need all the help we can get. None of the Templars or Bishops can assist us right now. Stopping the prayer will only be allowed if we're all about to die. We can't halt the chant mid-prayer, all the ether will be lost. Not to mention how exhausted all my men will be if they're forced to stop before the artifact is full." Markus said.

{I understand, but um, are we expecting any help?}

"I sent a message to Viseux requesting assistance when we met up with the supply caravan a week ago. The leader of the caravan told me how bad things were in Thule, and that we should prepare for the worst. Supposedly the Ifrit Legion is coming to escort us. I have no idea why Northerners would pretend to care about us, but even if they are coming, there is no way of knowing when they'll show up. We have no way of communicating with one of their detachments after all." Markus said.

"The hell? Why was I not informed of this? I would have posted someone on the northern towers to watch for any approaching lights. God knows the local guard won't notice till the legion is already inside the damned town." Godwin said.

"You told us not to bother you under any circumstances you decrepit fool!! Can't remember shit, can't be bothered to even keep your clothes on. Retire already and save the rest of us from having to deal with you. Ready to become a master Jasper? I'll put in a good word for you if your Father retires immediately upon returning to Viseux."

"Hmm... I'll think about it." Jasper replied.

Yeah, that isn't gonna happen. Well, the retiring part will, but that's only because their whole family is leaving Urza. I guess Markus wasn't told about that. I was probably only told because of how much money I owe Jasper.

Thank god Aresa maxed out the mana on the armor on our way here. I have a feeling that very soon I'm going to need every advantage I can get.

Multiple flashes of sheet lightning occur in the distance, brightening up the distant land for a few seconds.

"... Just out of curiosity Markus, is there any way the Dawn god can assist you right now?"

"It is impossible. The prayer must be completed first, along with the much needed rest my men will need afterward. As it is now, our god can only watch as we die in the next couple of hours."

"Normally I'd berate you for a low-morale inducing statement like that, but..." Godwin trailed off, eyes fixated on the distant landscape.

"I'm going to assume everyone here saw that then?" Jasper said.

"How could we not... It was much taller than any of the trees out there. Any ideas on what it is?"

{Its head looked like a cobra.}

"Most likely an Eldritch, but how can one of that size appear out of nowhere? While size may not be everything, it's still a good indicator of how powerful an Eldritch god might be. It's impossible for one that big to remain unknown until now..." Jasper said.

"I haven't asked yet, but what did the 'massive' monster in town look like? Did it look reptilian?"

"I know where you're going with this, but sadly, it was not lizard-like in nature. The monster in town had the appearance of a wolf standing upright with long, lanky arms." Jasper replied.

"We also don't know if it really is reptilian yet. That aside, I'm going to say it outright for clarity sake, we can't beat an Eldritch that powerful with the forces at our disposal." Godwin said.

"Rei, are you able to make others invisible as well?" Markus asked.

"I can. However, it's not easy. My aura is designed to wrap around my body, since it's what my soul is attuned to. Extending it out is honestly difficult and even the tiniest amount of light can fracture it. It also begins draining my mana as well, which is something I can't afford right now. Why do you ask?"

"I was hoping, as a worst case scenario mind you, that you would take Lady Aresa and keep her safe somewhere else until help arrives."

"... I don't want to abandon you all here, but if it comes down to it I can grab her and hide in the forest, slowly making our way North to Viseux."

{T-That's...}

Aresa bites her lip, clearly not happy with the direction this conversation is going.

{... Last resort only, okay? I mean it! The last resort!!}

One by one, lights outside are doused, leaving only the crystal lights to illuminate the village.

"It's looking more and more like that's the only option I'm afraid... God damnit, I was almost free of this wretched place." Godwin said, making Markus raise an eyebrow.

"The wind is so powerful that even the magic torches couldn't withstand it. That another first for you, Markus?" Jasper asked.

"Yes..." Markus sighed, then continued. "What's the plan here leader?"

Godwin pointed at his son, "Jasper, tell Hera to use her ability to launch some flares as far as she can in the direction of that Eldritch. Assuming this fucking town even has any left that weren't pilfered and sold that is. Tell her to use over one hundred, pepper the open field so we can see anything coming."

"I don't remember flares lasting very long though? Is she going to do that every ten to fifteen minutes?"

"Huh...? Oh, I see where you're confused Rei. The flares we based our designs off of were bought from your parents I assume. The ones we use now are much larger and run off of the lapis crystals inside of them, packed with mana. They'll last for hours." Jasper replied, then continued. "Alright Father, I'll go find her now. She was asleep in the Temple so odds are she's still there."

Jasper turns around, heading straight out the door. The sounds of his boots hitting the stairs echo out shortly after.

"I'm going to get to work on that wolf. Try to stay alive you three."

"How exactly do you plan on doing that? It could be anyone here. What do you have to go on?" Godwin asked.

"Medium-sized men's boots with the basic tread is all for now. So I'm going to go over the victims list, see if there is something that ties them all together. It may turn into a monster, but there's a human element to it now. I won't deny that it could be eating whatever it can get its hands on. Alas, it's still best to see if it had a reason for eating those specific people."

{Can I help?!}

"You can help out with the beginning if you want? All I'm doing is going downstairs to get records of the incident and deceased. The guild will have that information right, Godwin?"

"... It should? Normally it would anyway. But who knows what the fucking tool of a branch manager had screwed up in my absence. The day-to-day side of things might be utterly ruined for all I know. I had planned on looking into it after the Kitsune were settled in... As you can see, I've had no time for such duties."

"In that case, go ahead Lady Aresa. We'll have to pass by the main hall on the way out the door, so if you're still working at the time, we won't have to go searching for you. Get some food while you're at it. You know, the meals Godwin promised us that are nowhere to be seen." Markus said.

"Fuck off, I ordered them as I passed the second floor. It's not my fault they aren't here yet."

"And what is my last meal to be?"

"Burger and fries for all. Not a bad last meal I'd say."

"It's not actually..." Markus looked over at me. "When the food arrives, we'll have yours sent down."

"Thank you for that." I said, walking towards the door.

The small pitter-patter of Aresa's feet can be heard behind me.

"Do you not wear shoes?"

{No need. It looks like skin, but there are small scales covering my feet.}

"So they don't get cold either?"

{They didn't, till now. It's not that bad, but the cold outside does get to them. Although the rest of my body struggles more against the cold, so my feet are the least of my concerns out there.}

As we reach the second floor, two servants head our way with a massive plate full of burgers and fries.

"Perfect timing! Some of those are for us." I said, stopping the servants.

They didn't question it, handing us a few plates. I assume because they had seen us descend from the third floor.

On the way to the first floor I see all the hunters here wearing apprehensive expressions as they gaze outside. Even without Godwin saying anything, they all know what is coming next, it was hard to miss that massive silhouette after all. It must have been at least three hundred feet tall.

After reaching the ground floor, I take us to an open booth and immediately bury my food in salt. It's caked in so many white crystals that it has Aresa staring at me open-mouthed.

{Isn't that too much?! Does your body need salt that badly??}

"No idea if it needs it, I just love salt. What I do need is a lot of meat. I'm going to ask Godwin after this if I can order a few dozen burgers with some fries. With that, I won't need to eat for about a week."

{Glutton.}

"I won't deny it." I said, looking over at my plain water. "... I miss soda so much. No matter how much time passes, I always think about those delicious drinks every time I eat."

{I read about that in one of the books your family sold to me! They were bringing a machine to 'create bubbles' in liquid on their last trip. It's one of the items I ordered from them.}

"Wait, you did business with my family?"

That was how many years ago now? Fifty? Sixty?

{Ah...}

Aresa looks down awkwardly.

"Hmm... I'm guessing you didn't want me to know that? It's normal for hybrids to live long lives though, depending on the Eldritch god they were created from. Hell, the oldest Elf was one-hundred and fifty-seven before he died, but it wasn't because of old age. We still don't know how long Elves can live because of how often we die in combat with the machines."

{No, that's not it... I felt bad keeping it from you that I met your parents twice. When Jasper told me about where you were from, I immediately remembered your sister bragging about how she had the cutest little sister ever. They said you would be coming with next time. I was going to ask if I could leave with them when they came back, but I wouldn't have been able to go even if they did show up. Someone betrayed me, and then I ended up in this body, so...}

In this body?

The door to the guild blows open, allowing a large amount of snow to blow into the hall, followed by a sharp decrease in temperature. The men in booths nearest to the door run over, slamming it closed and placing an axe through the handle so it won't open again.

"... An umbrella by itself isn't going to cut it. I'm going to make you a full cloth armor with the umbrella attached to the back, that work for you?"

{Yes!! Will the umbrella warm up too?}

"It can if you want, but that will lead to snow turning to water and dripping on you. We had that problem back on the wagon, remember? It's why I had to change the netting above us to be solid so it would run off elsewhere."

{That's fine. Please do it that way.}

"Alright princess, then go get the papers I need while I get started on this. Ask for information regarding the slain villagers and the incident reports."

{I-Incident reports, and information... Got it.}

Aresa tensed up, standing from her chair and heading over towards the counter.

I wasn't expecting her to get that nervous over such a simple request. It's kind of cute in a way.

A few minutes later she returned with a whole one sheet of paper.

"... That's it?"

{Yes?}

This is off to a great start.

"... Alright, put it in front of me please."

Aresa placed the paper on the table, then sat down to continue her meal.

I keep working on her outfit while reading the paper in front of me.

Tammy Yulsif(Wife) - Deceased - April 17th, Early morning.

Cause of Death - Lacerations to the throat. Torso was devoured after death.

Gregory Yulsif(Husband) - Deceased - April 17th, Early morning.

Cause of Death - Decapitation. Head was ripped off. Body crushed after death.

-----------------------------------------------

Sarah Frederickson(Wife) - Deceased - April 21st, Early morning.

Cause of Death - Devoured alive.

Vinny Frederickson(Husband) - Deceased - April 21st, Early morning.

Cause of Death - Decapitation. Head was ripped off. Body crushed after death.

Lina Frederickson(Daughter) - Alive.

Victim said the Wolf had looked right at her. It immediately stopped eating her mother and fled the scene.

-----------------------------------------------

"A shame the deaths from earlier aren't included, but that can't be helped. Also, this information is too bare bones, nowhere near enough what I need... Hmm, do you happen to know where the Mayor's building is?"

Aresa shakes her head, taking another bite out of her burger.

Fifteen minutes later I can see a bunch of bright red lights fly into the sky outside.

Those are the flares huh? They're definitely way brighter than the ones my Uncle showed me.

One of the warriors removes the axe from the door, allowing Jasper back into the guild. Upon spotting us he walks directly up to our booth.

"The flares are being launched now. You getting ready to leave?" Jasper said.

"Yeah, I need to find the Mayor's building. The information here is lacking too much, I need to know more about the victims. Family trees, known associates, etc."

"The Town Hall? Go six streets past the Temple, you can't miss it. It's the biggest building in the village. I doubt it's open, nor would they allow you entry to the records, but I assume that won't be a problem for you."

Indeed, it won't be a problem at all.

Godwin comes jogging down the steps, fully geared again. Markus trails after him. They both head to our booth.

"Between the lightning and the flares, we've already caught sight of spawn heading our way. The fuckers are tall, and they look armed. This shit just keeps getting more and more confusing." Godwin said.

Armed spawn, that is definitely not good... It shows the Eldritch has a decent level of intelligence. While the spider may have planned for the Satyr, it was still on a basic monster level of instinct. The kind of Eldritch that arms its spawn, would have enacted a way better counter strategy against the Satyr. That also gives credence to Godwin's confusion and the conversation they were having earlier. It's impossible for a powerful and intelligent Eldritch to have hidden away like this without trying to make itself known beforehand. They aren't known to be passive and friendly, aside from the ones that create hybrids and try to make their own nations, like the Kitsune god.

"I hope you lot are full, because this is going to be one hell of a long night." Godwin said.

"I haven't eaten yet. Give me a few, I'll catch up to you outside." Jasper said, heading for the second floor.

"GET READY MEN, YOU KNOW THE DRILL!! WE'RE HEADING OUT IN FIVE!!!" Godwin yelled.

Warriors of the Guild stood up at the same time, checking their equipment one last time. To my surprise, the villagers also did the same.

They're going to be assisting?

"There's no other choice, I'm going to have to stop the prayer... I'll meet you back in the fields in a little while." Markus said, heading for the door.

I looked over at Aresa, who was wiping her mouth clean after finishing her meal.

"I completed your armor, but it was made in haste so it's not the best. It should keep you warm though. Think of it like warm chainmail... Except it's cloth."

Aresa excitedly stands up, pulling the one-piece over her head. The umbrella shaft is locked into the back of the dress, so it's hovering above her head one foot up.

"The shaft and umbrella might be a bit heavy, I needed to make something strong to withstand the wind."

{Yeah I'm wobbling a little. Even so, I love it, thank you!!}

"Well shit, I didn't know you could do that? This is one hell of a lifeline for her. The Lady needs warmth more than humans do, so I was worried about her being out there."

Oh, that explains why she was so happy about the warm cloth back on the wagon, and this new outfit as well. Honestly, I was a little weirded out that she was so excited about wearing cloth made from my blood, but now it all makes sense. She's apparently been freezing this whole time.

"Hang on, didn't you say that you could 'deal with the cold' back when you first climbed the wagon?"

{Lied. I hate the cold. I heard about you being Nel's daughter and wanted to talk to you sooner rather than later.}

A series of lightning bolts streak across the sky, revealing a barely visible dome covering the village and extending outwards towards the Eldritch miles away.

"You see that dome? It must have extended its domain to us."

{I didn't see it. My eyes were closed though, sorry.}

"Me either, but I believe you with those eyes of yours. That means it's attacking us in earnest, and not as something it felt like destroying on its way to somewhere else." Godwin said.

Looks like that seals it, the Eldritch is coming here in full force. Godwin was right, this is going to be a very long night...