Chapter 11: Blood in the Ruins
The Warrior's grin widened as he drew his broadsword. The blade caught the torchlight in a cold gleam while his group fanned out without a word. The two Mages stepped back to murmur incantations, hands glowing with building energy, and the Rogues melted into the shadows along the chamber walls. The air thickened with tension, and the ancient murals seemed to watch from the dim corners. Shadowmane's growl deepened, vibrating through the stone floor as his massive form coiled and ready beside me.
Lira loosed first. Her arrow streaked across the chamber and buried itself in the lead Rogue's thigh as he tried to flank us. He cursed and stumbled but did not fall, dagger still flashing toward her side. I slashed low with my longer knife, catching the Warrior's initial charge on the blade so that metal rang against metal and jarred my arms. He pressed forward in a group push, sword swinging wide to force me back toward the dais.
Shadowmane exploded into motion on my mental command. He leaped over the shattered crystal to crash into the second Rogue, claws raking armor and tearing leather like paper. The man screamed as fangs closed on his shoulder and dragged him down hard. Lira rolled aside from a dagger thrust, coming up with another arrow nocked and fired point-blank into the injured Rogue's chest. He dropped with eyes wide in shock.
The Warrior roared and charged me again, sword overhead. I stabbed upward so the blade scraped along his plate before finding a gap at the armpit, and blood welled hot over my hand. He grunted and backhanded me with his shield boss so that pain exploded across my jaw and sent me staggering. One Mage unleashed a bolt of fire that scorched the air where Lira had stood a heartbeat before; she dodged behind a column, and splinters flew as the spell impacted stone.
Shadowmane released his prey, for the Rogue lay still, and turned on the Warrior. I stabbed again, this time into the thigh as the beast barreled in from the side. The Warrior swung desperately, sword biting into Shadowmane's flank but drawing only a shallow cut. The companion snarled and clamped jaws on the sword arm, crunching bone so the blade clattered away.
A second fire bolt streaked toward me. I dodged low and rolled across the dais as heat singed my tunic. The remaining Mage chanted faster while ice crystals formed around his staff. Lira's arrow took him in the throat mid-spell; he gurgled and clutched the shaft as the spell fizzled out. The last Rogue tried to flank Shadowmane from behind, daggers plunging toward the beast's ribs.
I threw my shorter knife. It spun end over end and buried hilt-deep in the Rogue's chest. He gasped and staggered forward a step before collapsing. The Warrior, arm mangled and bleeding heavily, dropped to his knees. Shadowmane loomed over him with fangs bared but held on my command. The man looked up as defiance faded to fear.
"Why?" I demanded with my voice rough and knife pressed to his throat. Blood dripped from my split lip. "Who sent you?"
He spat blood and laughed weakly. "Guild. Eclipse Blades. Heard about the tamed apex. Boss wants power like that. Nulls are cheats. Abominations."
Lira approached cautiously with arrow trained on him. "How many more?"
"Enough." His eyes flicked to the purified crystal. "You'll draw worse than us. Void's waking."
Shadowmane growled and pressed closer. The Warrior's bravado cracked.
I exchanged a glance with Lira. Killing him felt easy and perhaps necessary, but the murals watched with figures from past waves who had turned on each other in desperation.
"Strip him," I said. "Bind him. We'll take him back to Mira."
Lira nodded and pulled rope from her pack. The Warrior protested weakly as we disarmed him fully: sword, armor plates, pouches of gold and potions. Shadowmane watched every move to ensure no tricks. We bound his hands and ankles tight and gagged him with torn cloth. The chamber fell quiet except for his muffled breathing and the drip of blood on stone.
We searched the bodies quickly. They carried good steel weapons, a few healing salves, and coins stamped with an eclipse symbol. Lira claimed arrows and a fine dagger while I took a sturdy short sword to replace Torv's loaner knife. Shadowmane nosed the fallen and seemed satisfied that none stirred.
Text flickered in my vision as we worked:
Deed recorded: Intruders repelled in ancient echoes without needless slaughter.
Skill unlocked: Basic Swordplay (Passive).
Skill progressed: Basic Knife Fighting (to Adept).
Affinity progressed: Wild (Master to Grand).
Title gained: Echo Guardian.
Reputation impact: Eclipse Blades Guild (Hostile).
Lira read over my shoulder. "Guild war already? We've been here barely a week."
"Power draws eyes," I said, echoing Mira's warning. The purified crystal hummed faintly now with clear light pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat. Knowledge fragments settled deeper: the Third Wave had fractured here and turned on suspected anomalies like Nulls, so their seals failed because trust broke first.
We hauled the bound Warrior up the stairs. Shadowmane dragged him when he resisted, claws gentle but firm on the armor. Outside, the valley air felt cleaner and the golden light warm on our faces. No reinforcements waited yet.
Lira scanned the hills. "We move fast. Back to the village before they send more."
I nodded and wiped blood from my hands on grass. Shadowmane ranged ahead with nose to the ground and alert for scents. The prisoner grumbled behind the gag as we marched south. The ruins faded behind us with secrets partially uncovered but dangers multiplied. Eclipse Blades knew about me now, about the companion, and about the purification.
Word would spread faster. We crested the first hill by late afternoon, and Elden Hollow's palisade appeared distant but welcoming. Smoke rose steady and safe for now. But the Game had shifted again. Factions were forming, and threats went beyond monsters. I gripped the new sword's hilt and felt the bond with Shadowmane thrumming strong. Lira walked close with bow ready.
Deeds stacked higher while risks grew sharper. And somewhere in the wider world, the System watched its unpredictable variable carve deeper into the code. We hurried toward home. Behind us in the purified chamber, the crystal's light brightened a fraction more. As if Aetheria itself approved.
*****
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