The screams continued for an unsettling span.

  They tore through camp in a relentless chorus, high and jagged, each one cutting against the last until it became impossible to tell if there were dozens of voices—or just one stretched beyond sanity.

  “Make it end—!” someone shouted, but their voice was swallowed in the din.

  I staggered, clutching at my skull. The sound wasn’t just in my ears—it was in my bones, reverberating down my spine, rattling my teeth. My vision swam, colors smudging at the edges.

  Selene was shouting something, but her words bent, warped, like she was underwater. Kaela doubled over beside me, hands over her ears, her spear forgotten in the dirt. Bront had his shield raised, as if he could block the noise itself.

  Then—suddenly—silence.

  The absence of sound was worse.

  Every soldier froze. The fire pits flickered in the damp wind. My pulse pounded against the void where the screams had been, the echo of them still ringing at the back of my mind.

  “…What in the hells,” Kaela whispered, her voice raw, “was that?”

  No one answered.

  And then a bell tolled.

  A single, hollow note, drifting through the fog from somewhere deep in Night’s Reach.

  Selene turned sharply toward the sound, her eyes wide, jaw tight.

  “That was the bell tower.”

  The five of us exchanged a knowing glance and sprinted straight for the tower. If we were going to find any answers, it would be there and now. My breath came clipped as we ran, the goosebumps never fading from my skin.

  When we made it to the bell tower I half expected to see Sylico standing atop it, ringing the bell himself. He wasn’t.

  No one was.

  In fact, looking at it—it wasn’t even swaying at all. Just completely still. As if it hadn’t been touched in ages.

  My eyes traced the perimeter, straining against the dark, but wary of anything or anyone that might’ve been suspicious.

  Lyria approached the door to Sylico’s shack and quickly rapped her knuckles on the old wooden door. Nothing. She tried again before Kaela stepped in next to her and kicked it open.

  The five of us struggled to peer in.

  Empty. The shack smelled of burnt herbs and mold. A single candle still flickered on the table, its wax melted down to nothing.

  No sign of Sylico.

  Lyria gently shut the door and turned back to the rest of us with a helpless shrug.

  We circled up in the dim torchlight at the base of the bell tower, each of us no doubt considering what exactly it was that we had just experienced.

  A few paces away, a squat stone building stood, and in its doorway, two townsfolk. A middle-aged couple, candles illuminating their faces, gaunt and hollow-eyed. Their lips moved, whispering in unison.

  “Grahamut save us… Grahamut save us…”

  Their eyes never blinked. They didn’t even seem to see us.

  My ears pricked at the name. There it was again. Grahamut.

  Just what, or who, was this deity…

  I turned back to the others.

  “Do any of you know the deity they are praying to? Grahamut?” I asked, only to be met with puzzled looks.

  “I… I think I heard Sylico mention the name a few times while working with him on warding,” Lyria offered.

  The others just shook their heads and shrugged.

  “Do you think it has something to do with this?” Selene asked.

  I just shook my head. “Not sure… but something about it bothers me.”

  “Sounds old—maybe a local god or spirit?” Bront said.

  “Maybe… I’ll ask around.”

  “Report whatever you find,” Selene said, moving in the direction of camp. “Let’s get back to the tents, they might address those horrible screams.”

  We all nodded in agreement and headed back warily, each of us casting glances over our shoulders and off to the sides, peering into the murky darkness of night.

  The area in and around the longhouse was bustling with agitated adventurers, everyone seemed to be demanding answers. Shadowed eyes, sleep deprived scowls, and concerned expressions were stained orange by the light of burning braziers and dangling lanterns.

  Luckily, we got there just as the Knight’s of Golden Light arrived with the platoon leader from Lanton.

  Much like the first address Murasa gave us, it began with the pounding of his hammer's hilt on the packed dirt.

  “Oi—we want answers!” A voice rang out, thick with frustration.

  A chorus of agreement resounded after him.

  As before, Murasa raised his voice, hammer’s haft pounding like thunder.

  “Do not fear! This is but another trick of the Fell! Their sorcery claws at your mind, but it cannot touch your souls!”

  My fists clenched at my sides. I didn’t believe him for a minute. Everything I’d felt so far didn’t point to the Fell, and the tolling of the bell made that even clearer for me. Something else was going on here—and for some reason—Murasa didn’t want to admit it.

  The five of us shared a quick glance, all on the same page, and we looked ahead once more.

  “The time to fight back is nigh! At first light—all silver parties are to report to the cathedral! Tomorrow—we make our first expedition into the Fellwoods!”

  My throat went dry… All silver parties. Of course, that would include us.

  With one final thunderous slam of his maul, Murasa turned swiftly, his deep purple cape trailing after him as he and the rest of the Golden Light retreated.

  The platoon leader stepped forward next.

  “We are doubling the guard for tonight! Orders will be brought to each party separately. Await your directives until then. That is all!” His voice was coarse and loud, his words left no room for negotiation.

  Selene turned to us next.

  “All of you—into the tents. It may take some time to get our orders, until then I want you all as rested as you can be,” she said, expression stern.

  “What about you? You need rest too–” Lyria argued.

  “Aye–” Bront agreed.

  “I’ll be fine. It’s time I start pulling my weight as the leader of this party,” Selene said, leaving no room for debate. “Besides, if Yukon’s worries are true… we’ll need every bit of strength we can muster.”

  Kaela didn’t need any convincing as she disappeared back into the girls tent, but I caught her gaze just before she disappeared inside, and I saw the worry tensing her brow. Bront went next, his eyes still darting about the distant shadows until the moment he ducked in.

  Lyria and I looked to Selene once more, exchanged knowing glances, and then headed for our tents as well.

  Before I could enter a distant voice called my attention, small at first, but getting louder.

  “...Yukon!”

  I paused and looked up.

  “H–hey! You guys—are you all okay?” Ron stammered, panting as he made it to our camp circle.

  “Yeah… We’re okay. You and Margo?” I said as Selene came over to join us, Margo eventually trailing over as well.

  “We’re alright…but what in the name of the Sunwarden was that sound—Those screams…” Ron shuddered as he spoke.

  Selene and I exchanged glances, wondering whether to tell them of our doubts.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Ron spoke first. “Well… anyway. We’re being sent out to join the watch for the night. I just wanted to check in with you guys to see if you were all still okay…”

  Or so he said, though, I got the sense that Ron was more disturbed than he let on, and was looking for some assurance.

  “That’s tough. Straight back on patrol for you two then?” Selene empathized.

  “Aye, workin’ us like dogs they are,” came Margo’s grumbled reply as she adjusted her axe.

  Ron nodded, locking eyes with me.

  My head lifted for a moment, and then I returned his gaze with a nod.

  “Don’t worry. Everyone here is strong, the Fell would be foolish to come for us within these walls,” I said, trying to reassure him. “But… Keep your head on a swivel. There’s no telling if there’s only one enemy waiting out in those woods.”

  He seemed to take that to heart, giving me one last glance before leaving as if to ask: did you smooth things over with them? With her?

  I nodded once again, affirming his question.

  He cracked a slight grin, seemingly satisfied, and turned away before Selene could catch on.

  Ron and Margo took their leave, and I finally returned to my tent. Our orders certainly didn’t come quickly. I was already fast asleep by the time Selene received the update.

  * * *

  When morning came and my eyes fluttered open, I took pause for a moment as I registered the light of dawn filtering through the canvas.

  I shot up.

  Had I overslept? Did the others cover for me?

  I looked to my left and saw Bront slowly rustling as well.

  “Hey–” I smacked his side. “What happened? Did Selene wake you?”

  “No… I just slept.” he grumbled back, slowly pulling himself up as well.

  I pulled my tunic and boots on quickly, fearing we had overslept. Bront mirrored my actions albeit with less haste. I stepped out into the morning air, it wasn’t hot nor cold, the air felt just as stagnant as always, with the breeze muffled by the oppressive forest and surrounding geography. The damp earth and lingering ash of the fire pits filled my first breath. My eyes scanned our campsite quickly, none of the girls were around, the coals of our fire were cold, our cooking ware and other effects were piled neatly just as we had left them.

  A tinge of panic hit my still waking mind.

  What if they had gone off without us? Did Selene even sleep, would she be okay? Or…

  What if they were taken…?

  My mind swam with these less than rational fears as I inched toward their tent. I didn’t realize it at the time, but everything I had experienced since becoming an adventurer was beginning to weigh on my mind. The fear of being left behind, the fear of my party members being taken. All real experiences I’d had, and had to overcome in the moment, but now, what I wrestled with was only their shadow.

  I told myself it was irrational—Bront was still here, the camp was full of guards—but the fear didn’t care. As my hand reached for their tent flap, dread pooled in my chest—the same dread that had crept in since Lunae and Tenebrae went silent…

  My hand hovered at the flap. What if they were gone?

  I yanked it open.

  Three startled shrieks hit me at once.

  Selene froze halfway through buckling her leathers, her dark braids spilling forward as she spun on me, blue eyes wide. “Yukon!?”

  Lyria gave a tiny, panicked squeak, clutching at her slipping undergarments with both hands. Her silvery hair tumbled loose from its ribbons, bangs falling over her flushed face.

  Kaela gasped, then snorted out a laugh that caught in her throat. Her freckled cheeks were pink, her golden eyes flashing. She crossed her arms over her generous chest, shoulders tense despite the grin tugging at her lips.

  “S–sorry!” My hands shot up, palms open. I stumbled back from the flap. “I—I just thought something happened! I didn’t—”

  “How bold,” Kaela called from inside, her voice teasing, though I could hear the strain.

  “Bold? He barged in like a lunatic!” Selene snapped.

  “It was an accident—!” I groaned, scrubbing both hands over my face. My ears burned.

  I turned blindly, only to find Bront standing there with his arms folded, grinning like a wolfhound who’d found a bone.

  “Yukon!” he boomed with a laugh that shook my chest. “You’re braver than I thought!”

  “N–no! It wasn’t like that—!”

  By the time the girls emerged, fully dressed, my face still hadn’t cooled.

  Lyria’s lavender eyes darted anywhere but at me, her fair cheeks stained pink beneath her bangs. Selene had managed to school her features, but the faint blush against her dark skin betrayed her. Kaela, on the other hand, leaned on her spear, grinning ear to ear, her fiery hair bouncing as she tilted her head at me.

  I ducked my gaze, guilt pressing down harder than any blade. “I—I’m sorry.”

  “Idiot,” Selene muttered, but there wasn’t quite enough bite behind it.

  Kaela let out a sly chuckle. “Careful, Yukon. Keep this up and you’ll have us wondering what kind of hero you really are.”

  Lyria fidgeted with her blue ribbons, still refusing to look directly at me. “…You should knock.”

  Bront clapped a hand on my shoulder, shaking me so hard I nearly buckled. “At least the lad cares enough to check we weren’t all murdered in our sleep. Right?.”

  Awkward as it was, the tension slowly eased. Breakfast needed cooking, packs needed buckling, and soon we’d be walking into the Fellwoods themselves. The memory of the screams, the bell tolling, and the Knights’ grim words loomed heavier than any embarrassment.

  Even with the smell of frying eggs between us, that crawling dread from earlier still lingered. I couldn’t shake the thought that today, it might not just be shadows playing tricks on me.

  * * *

  In the night, Selene had received orders for our party to report to the old cathedral by mid-morning. We were able to take our time, collect all of our gear, potions, and other essential effects before heading out. By the time we made it there, the other silver-ranked adventurers had also just arrived.

  There was Karne, his deep red robes were slightly frayed, though he otherwise looked well kept. Lyria had explained that he was, in fact, a wizard. Slightly different to a mage, wizards were usually a bit more unpredictable, and often used more unorthodox spells. Standing across from us, already inspecting the great map strung up on the wall, was Jango’s party of three. Seeing them up close, Jango himself was a tall man, dark skinned, and muscular beyond reason, not quite as large as Bront, but his musculature was even more defined. He carried a greatsword with a unique green gem in its guard, and I could tell right away, he was a warrior. Beside him stood a woman, equally as tall, and also dark skinned, perhaps a few shades deeper than Selene’s. She had a beautiful dark oaken bow strapped to her back, and two curved shortswords at her waist, most likely a ranger, like me. Next was their defence specialist. He was a bit shorter and stouter than the other two, but still stood at around the same height as me. Human certainly, skin a bit lighter, but with a quite gruff and unique look to him. He had a huge shield strapped to his back with a peculiar design. Something like a cannon’s barrel protruded from its center. Curious.

  As we all waited for the Knights of Golden Light to arrive, no one made conversation. It was clear that Jango’s party was sizing us up as well, and aside from that… All of our nerves must have been frayed. We were about to head out into those woods after all.

  My head jerked up as I heard a heavy door at the back of the cathedral open. The Knights were here.

  Strutting down the center of the nave, their presence was as imposing as ever. Each member seemed to radiate power. There was Murasa, the Dragon-born paladin, and their leader. Beside him, a tall knight outfitted in solid plate armor of silver and gold, angular and sharp, with a helmet concealing his face entirely. At his back hung a massive twinblade, a rather rare weapon. On his other side, a woman with deep blue hair, her eyes a similar color of blue but scattered with gold flecks. Her beauty was arresting. Taking up the rear was a man in white robes, a tome hung chained to his hip, and in his hand a staff with a golden ring like a halo at its point.

  They fanned out around the far end of the table, scattered with documents, and scale replicas of Night’s Reach’s defenses.

  Murasa spoke first, but not before I caught his gaze flick to me for the briefest of moments.

  “Greetings, adventurers. Thank you for gathering here with us, and for accepting such a dangerous quest,” He started, his amethyst eyes shimmering with power.

  “We have a responsibility to resolve this threat as soon as possible. If we fail here… Lanton itself will be in very real danger,” He took a breath, eyeing each of us to ensure we were following. “Since we discovered the Fellwoods… they’ve grown steadily each day.”

  None of us gasped, but every scowl in the room hardened at his words. The threat was still growing… meaning, if we didn’t do something about it and soon, it might spiral into something that no one could stop.

  “Have you actually ventured out there yourselves?” Jango cut in.

  “Yes. We have made a total of three expeditions into the Fellwood,” Murasa said, his expression hardening.

  Selene was next to speak up. “How far did you make it? And did you suffer any casualties?”

  Murasa turned to face her, nodding first to acknowledge her questions.

  “We made it nearly halfway to the center on our final attempt, but had to turn back as our energy waned…” He paused, “and yes. We lost around six soldiers and a member of the town's own night watch.”

  Some of our eyes widened, some scowls deepened, but all stayed silent.

  The Archmage stepped forward suddenly, her voice gentle yet firm. “This expedition is not for the faint of heart… What you will see and face out there—it will test everything you’ve built up to this point. If you’ve any hesitation…back out now.”

  Her words hit hard, but none backed away. None faltered from what I could see… None but me.

  My hand subconsciously glided to my chest, where the mark that had gone silent rested.

  Would I really be okay without them…?

  When my eyes refocused I found Murasa staring intently at me, his purple scales glinting slightly. I averted my gaze.

  The next hour was spent in preparation, planning, strategizing and plotting routes. We were to split into two teams, traveling parallel—out of sight, but within an arrow’s reach.

  Our party was set to go with the Archmage and the Twinblade wielder, while Jango’s party and Karne, would go with Murasa and the priestly fellow. Our group would take three additional soldiers to reach a maximum of ten members for our side, while Murasa’s would take four to the same effect.

  It was already mid-day when we stood before the palisades, each team in its own line, every brow beaded with sweat and every heart pumping in anticipation. Today was only meant to test the waters—to glimpse the creatures they had warned us of. We weren’t expected to make real progress… but if we did, it would be welcome. I glanced across to Murasa’s team, and then back to mine.

  Bront grunted as he adjusted his grip on his massive tower shield. “Whatever waits in there… let’s hope it bleeds like the rest of us.”

  “Tch–” Kaela clicked her tongue, twirling her spear with a flourish that didn’t quite mask the tremor in her hand. “Speak for yourself. If I come back missing a limb, you’re carrying me, stone-face.”

  Bront snorted at the new nickname, courtesy of Kaela.

  Selene’s gaze lingered on the twisting fog beyond the palisades. “Stay sharp. The Knights said the forest itself has a will. Don’t give it a chance to take hold.”

  Lyria stepped closer to me, her silver hair catching what little light slipped through the clouds. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed unease. “No matter what happens, we stay together. Promise me that, Yukon.”

  I swallowed, my fingers brushing the mark on my chest. “…I promise.”

  A soldier stepped forward on the palisade scaffolding, blaring a lone horn. The gates creaked open, and the shadow of the Fellwoods practically reached out to swallow us whole.