Chapter 6 — Paths and Encounters

The path through the trees seemed to narrow with each step. The forest whispered around Grumak and Malias, shadows rippling in the dim light that filtered through the dense canopy. The air was humid and heavy. Something—or someone—was watching them.

Grumak remained alert. Malias walked silently, eyes alert. Suddenly, she stopped.

“Wait.” His ears perked up. “We’re being followed.”

“How many?” Grumak asked, already preparing himself.

— I don't know..., but they're close.

Grumak pointed with his chin to a clearing ahead.

— If they're smart, they won't follow us there, and we'll have the advantage.

They entered the clearing and separated, positioning themselves on opposite sides. Silence fell like a sentence.

Then came the footsteps—heavy, slow, with the faint rustle of leather and steel. From the shadows, five reptilian figures emerged, eyes gleaming savagely, fangs bared.

"Look what we have here..." the one who seemed to be the leader fixed his gaze on Malias. "Lupina... Very rare, will fetch a good price."

She only responded with a cold look.

“Slave hunters,” he growled.

“ Scouts, ” one of the lizards corrected, laughing. “We followed you from Farir.”

Grumak took a step forward, fiery energy igniting in his gloves.

—You chose the wrong target. That was your mistake.

Two arrows cut through the air like treacherous lightning.

Malias summoned his bow with a burst of light—an ethereal, shimmering form that molded itself to his hands at the last second. He deflected the first arrow with instinctive precision, dodged the second by a hair's breadth, and counterattacked in a single fluid motion. The energy arrow tore through the air and slammed straight into the chest of one of the archers, who fell without a whimper.

Grumak spun to face the swordsman charging toward him. He dodged with the agility of a seasoned predator and responded with a flaming punch to the enemy's chest. The impact threw him back, his body twisting in the air before crashing to the ground.

Another archer tried to flee from the rear, but Malias intercepted him with a sharp shot that pierced his throat. The body fell.

But her bow began to unravel—shards of light shattering like ethereal glass.

Malias fell to his knees, gasping.

She hadn't yet regained her energy since rescuing Grumak. Using the shard to summon the bow was rapidly draining her life force, and she had pushed herself to the limit.

“Malias!” Grumak growled, already preparing to act.

One of the remaining lizards—armed with sword and shield—saw the opening and advanced, ready for the final blow.

With a sharp snap, Grumak disappeared.

The air exploded around Malias as he appeared beside her, teleported, his eyes burning with fury.

With a guttural roar, Grumak threw a punch that shattered the shield like rotten wood. The impact threw the enemy into a tree with brutal force. The trunk split in half.

The others tried to resist. One by one, they fell before Grumak's burning fury and Malias's exhausted precision.

Only the leader remained—scales burned, eyes wide, sword trembling in sweaty hands. He dropped it and raised his arms, trembling.

— P- please… I… was just following orders!

Grumak approached slowly, the shadow of flames dancing in his eyes.

— Who. Sent. You?

The lizard hesitated. He was about to speak. The truth was in his throat.

But then, the forest groaned.

A black sphere emerged from the shadows like a whisper of death.

Grumak felt the change in the air—thick, menacing, final.

— Malias! Hold on!

He grabbed her arm and activated the teleportation at the same moment the sphere hit the lizard.

The enemy's body crumbled to ash before emitting a final scream of agony.

Grumak and Malias reappeared meters behind, atop a rise shrouded by forest. Their breathing was heavy. The place where they had been seconds before… was now only silence and dust.

“That…” Malias gasped, his eyes wide. “What was that?”

“Magic of absolute destruction,” Grumak replied, staring into the void where the lizard had existed. “It left no scent. No trace.”

He clenched his fists.

— Someone was watching us. And they didn't want witnesses.

Malias struggled to his feet, still feeling the emptiness left by the bow.

"We're being watched, Grumak. That... wasn't a warning. It was a sentence."

He nodded, his eyes fixed on the sleeping forest.

— Then let them come. Next time, I'll go after them.

Elsewhere in the forest, Shiro and Helster ran along the narrow path. Behind them, the shadowy creature howled, restrained only by Pirlo's sacrifice.

“That thing… isn’t normal,” Helster said, panting.

"He was... living darkness." Shiro glanced over his shoulder. "Did Pirlo manage to stop him?"

— If that's all they say... maybe.

But the ground shook.

Light, constant. Enough to chill your spine.

"This isn't good," Shiro muttered.

“He’s coming,” Helster confirmed.

With no choice, they made their way to a clearing bathed in pale moonlight. The creature arrived soon after.

The creature emerged from the shadows like a nightmare forged in darkness. It was gigantic, made of pure emptiness. Wherever it passed, the light was devoured, and the tree branches writhed as if fleeing its presence. The ground trembled beneath its colossal paws, each step leaving a trail of broken roots and torn earth.

—This isn't normal... — Helster muttered, wielding the axe with trembling hands.

"There's nowhere to run," Shiro said, raising his sword. "We'll finish this here."

“Let’s face it like heroes, then,” Helster replied, trying to smile despite the sweat running down his face.

The creature growled, a guttural sound that seemed to come from the heart of the forest itself. And then it charged.

Shiro pulled Helster back at the last second. A gigantic paw smashed into the ground where they had been standing, sending up a cloud of dirt and stone fragments.

"Left!" Helster shouted. "I'll take the right!"

The two separated. Helster was the first to attack, swinging his axe hard, but the blade pierced the creature as if cutting through smoke. Nothing. No real impact. Just darkness reassembling itself in seconds.

"It's like hitting solid fog!" he shouted.

Shiro thrust his sword forward, attempting to slash at the creature's flank. The blade pierced... and vanished into the darkness, repelled with a crackle of electricity that nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Keep going! Constant pressure!" Shiro roared, more to himself than to his friend.

— If I die, write something epic on my grave!

— Shut up, Helster!

But there was no time for more. The shadow rose like a living wave and descended furiously. The paw smashed Helster against a tree, and the sound of the impact silenced the entire forest.

— HELSTER!! — Shiro ran to him, the world spinning around her.

Helster was still breathing, but barely. Blood was running down his arm, his mouth, his half-closed eyes.

— Run... Shiro... run...

And then everything stopped.

Shiro froze, time dilating in his mind.

A schoolyard. Three bullies surrounding Helster. He himself, younger, hesitated for a second—and then ran, pushing, yelling, getting beaten. Blood mixed with pride.

"I will never let them hurt you again."

Something snapped inside Shiro.

The sword fell from his hand and stuck into the ground with a dull sound.

His eyes twitched.

The pupils dilated, becoming slits.

Veins pulsed beneath his skin. His breathing became ragged, animalistic. Claws sprouted from his fingers. His muscles bulged, tearing at parts of his clothing. His bones creaked as they expanded. The air around him warped with the energy surging from his body.

The aura surrounding him was dark, dense, but alive—like a raging forest.

He grew. A meter. or more.

The boy became a humanoid beast, feline and furious, with burning eyes and living fury pulsing in his chest.

— DON'T. TOUCH. MY FRIEND!!

The roar that came from his throat was no longer normal. It was savage, ancient, visceral.

Shiro exploded with speed. His claws slashed at the shadow as if ripping through veils of solid darkness. The creature recoiled, roared, tried to regain its composure—but Shiro wouldn't let it.

Each blow left wounds of burning light on the monster's body.

He was a whirlwind of pure fury.

Helster, fallen, watched between blinks, panting, not knowing if what he saw was real or some kind of hallucination before death.

The creature roared one last time, but it was too late.

Shiro leaped forward and slammed both claws into the shadow's heart. The darkness shattered like black glass, exploding into fragments that scattered on the wind.

Silence fell like a heavy curtain.

The transformation slowly faded. The glow in Shiro's eyes faded. His claws retracted. His body shrank, hunching over until he fell to his knees. His breathing was ragged, his hands trembling.

He staggered to Helster.

— Hel... hold on... — he murmured, panting.

Helster tried to smile.

— You... turned into a monster... It was insane.

Before Shiro could respond, Pirlo emerged from the forest with a vial of green liquid in his hands.

— Quickly. Make him drink.

Shiro carefully held Helster and brought the vial to his friend's lips. Helster swallowed with difficulty, but gradually, his breathing steadied. Color returned to his face.

Pirlo watched them with a closed expression.

— You guys are crazy..., but incredibly dangerous.

Shiro sat on the floor, his hands still shaking.

He looked at them. There were still traces of the transformation: the longer nails, the slightly orange eyes, the erratic pulsing of energy within him.

—What... was that...? — he whispered.

"Something inside you. Still awakening," Pirlo replied seriously. "But it's coming to the surface... and it's not asking for permission."

Shiro tried to speak, but the world spun. Exhaustion fell over him like a stone.

The last thing he saw was a large figure approaching, shrouded in a cloak of calm authority.

— Pirlo. I see you took good care of things.

— I'm glad you came, Alvim.

And then, everything went dark.

Grumak and Malias continued down the road, the weight of the recent confrontation still heavy on their shoulders. The forest, with its mist and its secrets, was behind them ... but the tension walked with them.

As they rounded a bend, a soft light appeared on the horizon. The mist gradually dissipated, revealing a village surrounded by low, mossy stone walls. Small wooden houses with roofs green with age lined the street as if whispering to one another. From their chimneys, thin plumes of smoke danced against the gray-blue sky, and the scent of herbs and fresh bread hung welcomingly in the air.

But even there, where everything seemed calm, Grumak kept his guard up.

At the main gate, two soldiers with harelike features—short snouts, long ears, and watchful eyes—straightened up as soon as they saw them.

"Halt!" said the one with the grayish fur firmly. "Identify yourselves."

Grumak raised his hands slightly in a sign of peace.

— My name is Grumak. This is Malias. We are travelers. We come from Farir. We only seek rest.

The white rabbit narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

— Travelers from Farir... it's not common around here.

"We have no ill intentions," Malias said calmly but firmly. "Just shelter."

The two soldiers exchanged glances before calling out. A moment later, a demihuman rabbit with a dark blue cloak and a light green crystal appeared.

"Venlar, assistant to the local guild," he introduced himself politely. "This is the Identification Crystal. It confirms the nature and intent of anyone entering the village."

He lifted the crystal. A green light enveloped them gently, without resistance. The crystal glowed with a steady intensity—pure and reliable.

"You're all clear. Asterin Village welcomes you," Venlar declared. "The inn is next to the guild. You may proceed."

Grumak nodded his thanks, and Malias bowed politely. They walked along the polished stone streets, bathed in golden light from the windows. There was a calm there. An unsettling calm—as if the world had forgotten, for a moment, how cruel it was.

They soon found the inn: a low building with balconies decorated with hanging flowers and a lantern swinging over the entrance. The sign read "Refuge from the Wind"—and the name seemed to promise what they both needed most.

A man with short, gray fur, floppy ears, and shrewd eyes greeted them with a tired but genuine smile.

— Welcome, travelers. My name is Balbito , and I'm the owner of this little place. Two bedrooms, I imagine?

“Yes,” Grumak replied. “Please.”

Balbito extended his hand, friendly.

— Two bucks for two rooms. Fair price. Clean bed, hot soup.

Grumak reached into the side of his belt, where he normally kept the small leather pouch ... but found nothing. His expression hardened for a second. He rummaged around on the other side, checked his backpack. Nothing.

— I... — he cleared his throat, a little embarrassed — lost my coin purse during the trip.

Balbito raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem surprised.

— Hmm... Are you adventurers?

“Yes,” Grumak replied seriously. “Temporarily out of commission, but yes.”

The old rabbit scratched his chin thoughtfully, then smirked.

"Well... perhaps fate has brought you to me. I have a pending request at the guild. A job no one here has wanted to take on in the last few months. If you do this for me tomorrow, tonight is on me."

Grumak looked at Malias. She nodded, and he replied,

- Closed.

"Great!" said Balbito, excited. "One favor for another. I like people who keep their word."

He picked up two wooden keys hanging behind the counter and pointed to the wooden staircase on the left.

— Second floor. The rooms overlook the orchard. I'll bring the food soon.

Grumak and Malias went upstairs. The rooms were modest but cozy. Beds were made with woolen blankets, wide windows let in the fresh scent of the village, and antique wooden furniture creaked with dignity.

Some time later, a young, semi-human rabbit knocked on the door. She carried a tray of hot soup, rustic bread, and roasted meat with herbs.

“Courtesy of Balbito,” she said, smiling.

Grumak thanked him. He sat on the edge of the bed and ate in silence. Beside him, Malias did the same.

No words were spoken.

But there, in that moment, they both felt something they hadn't felt in days: security. Even if brief. Even if illusory.

And yet they knew that rest was just the pause before the next storm.

The shadows... were still on their trail.

They weren't finished yet.