Mythos: Last Stand

  Chapter 22 — Shade

  by Caide Fullerton

  They assembled beneath the arched watchtower of the camp’s eastern gate bright and early in the morning. Gathered together were the Humans, Lii, and their new pirate comrades: Sils, Jahd, Raffica, and Celeste.

  It had been a productive night for Jackie, one filled with much study. They felt it had granted them a much more solid understanding of the outside world, though Lii had passed out well before they retired. Waking her in the morning had been a bit of a struggle, even with others’ help.

  Everyone was wide awake now; the tension of the coming mission alone was enough to ensure that. Waves of intensity practically radiated off of Sils, who was perched on Jahd’s shoulder. It was impressive, given how small she was.

  Sils: “A’right, everyone, listen up!” She addressed the group, calling everyone to attention. “Our mission officially begins now. We’re gonna sneak past the blockade, reach the mainland, an’ track down Kirra.

  “Before any o’ that, we gotta make it ta Avek Tirion, where my ship’s waitin’. It’s a day’s trek through the jungle, but there’s danger in th’area.”

  The operation’s members weren’t the only ones to have gathered; Delia and Lapala were present to see the rest off. The latter nodded along with Sils’s final statement,

  Lapala: “Indeed. A Greater Shade stalks the area, along with a small legion of its lesser brethren. My squad put a dent in their numbers and nearly killed the beast, but it escaped and is no doubt fully recovered by now.”

  Shades. Of the many things they’d heard about in the outside world so far, these were one of the few Jackie already knew about, for the creatures—if they could even be called that—existed in the Heap as well. They were the rotted shells of things that had once been living, reanimated by Liches. Jackie had been quite lucky to never encounter one of their creators, but they’d had more than a few encounters with Shades themselves.

  “Greater Shade”, on the other hand, was a term with which they were unfamiliar. They raised a hand like an enthusiastic schoolchild.

  Jackie: “What exactly is a Greater Shade?”

  Jahd: “Twisted things. Ye’re familiar with the regular ones, aye? The Greater Shades are a step halfway between them an’ proper Liches. Tougher, not as mindless. They’re empowered with a weaker version of a Lich’s magic, and ta make it worse, they retain a twisted version of the racial magic they had in life.”

  Jackie: “Scary. How many people does it usually take to bring one down?”

  Lapala: “My squad consists of five, but we specialize in dealing with their kind. Not to mention you Humans lack combat abilities.”

  Jackie heard a low growl from their side. The knight didn’t seem to mean it as an insult, referring to their racial magic, but Strade certainly took it as one. He’d seemed truly exhausted when he returned from his training last night. It was clear he was taking this seriously.

  He wasn’t the only one. Sam had returned similarly late, his satchel packed with a wider variety of herbs and medicines than before. Helena now sported a heater shield strapped to her left arm, a new sword at her hip. That wasn’t the only new weapon, either; a warhammer was strapped to her back, which Jackie found quite fitting.

  Jackie had found an opportunity to visit the armory this morning, as well. They were quite attached to their current weapons, but the crude shield they’d crafted out of a sheet of scrap metal had outlived its purpose. It was replaced by a proper metal buckler.

  Sils: “We’ll be able ta handle it. Any other questions?”

  Jackie: “Does anyone in Avek Tirion know we’re coming?”

  Sils: “Aye. We contacted th’admiral last night.” She gestured back towards the camp, to the butte that loomed over it—no, at the crystal nestled atop the formation.

  Right, Raffica had told them about the crystal before. It was magical in nature, a communication device of some sort. She’d described it as faulty, but still usable.

  There were no further questions after that, so Sils gave a satisfied nod and turned her attention to Lapala. “I’m leavin’ Heapwatch in yer hands. We’ll be back—an’ with a Druid in tow.”

  Lapala: “I am sure. And I shall ensure Heapwatch is still standing when you do return.” He looked to Raffica as he spoke the next part, “Do be careful, and return to us safely.”

  Raffica placed her hands on her hips, wearing a self-assured smile. “Hehe, don’t worry! We’ll be back in no time.”

  She didn’t spare her brother a second glance after she spoke, instead turning to the gate ahead. Giving her and the others a final glance, Sils nodded and tapped a foot against Jahd’s shoulder. He pulled the gate open, and with that they were off, picking a path through the jungle. Jahd and Sils forged ahead, Jackie and co. in the center of the pack. Celeste floated along behind them at a slight hover.

  The occasion felt anticlimactic to Jackie, almost bittersweet. After so many years alone, they’d been completely surrounded by people for the first time in their life. Never before had they felt so alive, so in their own element, as they had in Heapwatch. They couldn’t help but imagine they’d sorely miss the presence of Delia, Viz, and the others they’d become familiar with.

  Even so, this mission was an important one. Many people would die if they didn’t complete it. It was a difficult idea to come to terms with, having so many lives on their back. It was… a lighter sensation than they’d imagined, and that fact unnerved them. Why didn’t they care about their suffering the way Sam did? Was it simply because they didn’t know them?

  They forced those thoughts aside; they were unnecessary. They had plenty of their own reasons for coming along. Much as they’d come to like the people of Heapwatch, they couldn’t stay there forever, and this was a prime opportunity to see other parts of the world, like Avek Tirion. More than that, though, they could feel just how important this mission was to Sils, even if they held no personal passion for it.

  Her attitude seemed to sway between serious and carefree, but both served to hide just how intensely she cared for her people. Jackie had been able to sense it through her facade the night before; if they hadn’t already agreed to work for her, that might’ve been enough to sway them.

  Even if they couldn’t find it in themself to care for all those people they’d never met, Sils did care about them, and Jackie had become endeared to her. They may not have a stake in all those people’s lives, but they did care about helping Sils achieve her goals.

  Raffica fell in line just ahead of Jackie, humming quietly as she marched beside Sam. Her presence had been a constant since they came to the outside world, and for that Jackie was grateful. They enjoyed her company, and her cheery disposition put them at ease—and their more cynical side sensed she would be easy to befriend.

  Jackie: [Oi, Raffica, can you hear me?] They didn’t have to wait to know she couldn’t; as they tried to send the message, they could feel that their mind hadn’t connected to anything.

  They’d already known everyone they could currently telepath with for a while before even learning they had the ability. Raffica, and the others participating in this mission, would be their first real test for just how close they had to get to someone for their abilities to activate.

  Despite how outgoing and friendly she was, it seemed Raffica didn’t quite consider Jackie a friend yet—at least, not in a way that satisfied their magic’s requirements. Did it simply demand a deeper bond, or did she secretly have some sort of hangup keeping her from fully trusting Jackie? They hoped that, in encouraging her to stand up for herself, they hadn’t somehow hurt or offended her.

  Sam: “Raffica, did you, uh, ever talk to your brother again after what happened last night?” He turned to ask one of the many things that were on Jackie’s mind.

  Raffica: “No. But it’s fine! I know he just wants me to be safe. I’ll prove that I don’t need any protecting.”

  Sam: “Right. We’ll be relying on your strength.” Clear concern showed on his face, but he didn’t press the issue.

  Jahd: “Keep chatter to a minimum back there. Never know what might hear us out ‘ere.”

  With that warning, the others fell silent as their trek continued. They marched through the dense shrubbery of the jungle, evading its dangers thanks to the pirates’ expertise. They passed the expansive web of a wild Maneater, hid among the bushes as a pack of giant mosquitoes zipped by overhead, and skirted around the nest of a large, ferocious lizard.

  Their forward march only slowed when they encountered the rot.

  The scent of death met them before they saw the destruction. Splotches of decay were scattered across the jungle in haphazard streaks, some plants bearing the scars of acid burns while others were wilted and grey. Dead trees and ferns remained standing despite their wilting, seemingly held up by the very same force that had killed them.

  From the very core of their being, Jackie felt revolted. The unnatural decay set off some latent instinct deep inside them; it screamed that they, as a living being, must avoid this perversion of death at all costs.

  Avoid it they did, the group giving the decay a wide berth. They weren’t able to do so for long, however; more and more splotches of death snaked their way across the jungle, pockmarks tarnishing the land itself. The group picked winding paths between the patches of tainted land, though as they continued further they were forced to tread on wilted grass.

  Sam: “This Greater Shade did all of this?” He asked, eyes flicking between patches of decay.

  Jahd: “With help from its creator, no doubt. We’ve no sign of the Lich still bein’ nearby, but the Greater Shade can spread corruption in its stead.”

  Helena: “It’s sickening.”

  Jahd: “On that we agree. The wilted land’s safe ta touch, unnervin’ as it is, but if ye see any live corruption, avoid it at all costs.”

  Strade: “And what is this corruption?”

  Jahd: “Ye’ll know it if ye see it, trust me. Hope ye don’t”

  Strade clicked his tongue. “That ain’t exactly helpful, y’kno—“

  He cut off as Jahd came to a stop, raising an arm to signal the others to do the same. His hand fell to the odachi at his hip, resting on its hilt.

  Jahd: “Celeste, on me. Everyone else stay back and clustered together. Don’t bother with ranged attacks. Aim to disable.”

  Celeste floated ahead at his order, drawing her claymore. The others drew their respective weapons as well, Raffica and Lii flanking the Humans on either side, Sam at their center.

  They stood, silent, in formation, awaiting whatever danger was to come. For a moment, there was nothing but the buzz of the jungle. Then came the sound of hasty footsteps crashing through the brush.

  Then, a soul-wrenching screech as the monster leapt out towards them.

  It was humanoid in shape, its race unclear. Its body was rotting, its clothes tattered; clutched in its hands was a rusted halberd. Its eyes were open wide, bloodshot and unfocused. Its jaw hung slack. Its skin was caked in dirt and mud, a sickly grey where its innards weren’t exposed.

  The Shade held its weapon overhead, slamming it down at Jahd. He sidestepped the attack and, with a single swift movement, unsheathed his odachi and executed a devastating slash. The attack cleanly removed the Shade’s head, along with one of its arms from the elbow down.

  One would expect even the mightiest of creatures to flinch upon suffering such a terrible wound, but the Shade did not. To call it a “creature” at all would be an insult to life. Shades were not alive in any meaningful sense of the word; rather, they were more like walking corpses animated by magic. Corpses could not feel pain, nor did they have any sense of self-preservation. A Shade’s only desire was to enact violence on anything that moved.

  And so, it did not flinch. Even with its head removed from its body, what remained of the Shade turned to Jahd. Its remaining hand released its halberd, too heavy to be lifted in one alone, and it lunged for the Zombie with claws outstretched. Before its vile limb could reach him, a white flash streaked past—Celeste, her claymore deftly removing the Shade’s remaining arm.

  Jackie only paid half-attention to the scene that played out before them. The rest of their focus was placed on their ears, on the sounds that they now heard echoing off of trees, on the footfalls they heard approaching.

  On the great rumbling that surged towards them, as though the very earth was splitting open.

  Jackie: “On our left!” That was all they managed to call out before the destruction reached them.

  The earth did not quite split open, but the reality wasn’t far removed from such a description. What surged towards them was a sort of wave comprised of the forest floor. Dirt rose up in perfect hexagonal columns, each only a few inches across, the columns rising and then falling one after another. They lifted roots and grasses with them, and the few trees unfortunate enough to stand in the attack’s path had their lower trunks torn to shreds as the ground shifted beneath them.

  Jackie dove to the side, hoping their allies would do the same. They rolled across ferns as they hit the ground, whirling around to see the result of the previous attack. Most of the columns remained standing, having erected a crude wall of dirt, stone, and roots. Movement caught their eye, and their gaze turned upwards. There it was, hurtling through the air—the Greater Shade.

  Unlike the first Shade to appear, this one was easy to identify. Its body featured the distinctive leafy hair and puppet-like limbs of a Spriggan, but that appearance was twisted into something unnatural. The stems of its leaves glowed a neon green, as did the inside of the spring-like shapes that its forearms and shins took when they were stretched out. Several chunks had been carved out of its body—wounds from its encounter with Lapala’s squad?—and its innards were a kaleidoscope of shifting greens and purples.

  The Greater Shade spun through a series of accelerating flips before bringing all four limbs down atop the wall it’d constructed. A circle of columns sank beneath its weight, and the crash sent up another wave of rising columns perpendicular to the first, forming its crude wall into a great cross.

  Jackie knelt beside a tree, raising their buckler to shield themself from flying debris. This was bad. They’d heard it possessed intelligence, but the Greater Shade’s cunning far surpassed what they’d expected; its powers, too, seemed to be far more than just a modification of a Spriggan’s ability to stretch their limbs. The vile thing had deliberately split up the group, and it seemed like Jackie was alone.

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  They immediately tried to contact everyone. [Are you guys oka—]

  Instinct saved them in the nick of time. They shot to their feet and met an incoming blade with their shield. They weren’t alone after all—a Shade wielding a shortsword had charged towards them.

  Their mind swam with a thousand thoughts. Their telepathy hadn’t been instantaneous like before; it felt sluggish, the same as speaking out loud. Was stress inhibiting their ability? And now, a Shade was attacking. How had it snuck up on them? Had it dropped down from the wall? Had it been hiding here? Were common Shades even capable of actions like lying in wait? Were the others facing similar ambushes? Was this the only Shade in Jackie’s quarter, or were there more? Could they face multiple at once on their own?

  The Shade did not give them time to answer any of those questions. It forced its way forward, its blade arm crumpling against Jackie’s shield as it bashed its face into the metal in its dogged pursuit of Jackie. Its free hand reached around their shield, clawing towards their face. They swung their sword inward, the blade pinning the Shade’s arm against the edge of their shield as it dug into the husk’s flesh.

  The Shade snarled and gargled, its feet digging into the dirt as it pressed forward, forcing Jackie to stagger back. Its hand writhed wildly, its nail managing to scratch Jackie’s sword arm. The Shade did not care about things like its posture or remaining standing; it put every fiber of its being into using its body to hurt Jackie, and the balance of their struggle was quickly tipping into its favor. Its sword arm unfolded, trying to flail its way around the other edge of Jackie’s shield—

  A red blur shot into their view. She coursed through the air like a bullet, only slowing at the last second as several jets of air shot out of her limbs. Twisting her body midair, she let the jet protruding from one heel carry her leg around in a circle. That leg inherited all the momentum lost in her sudden stop, and she proceeded to slam it into the Shade’s head.

  The Shade was sent hurtling sideways, its head snapping away from the blow at a sharp angle. It was torn away from Jackie, in the process losing the arm their sword had dug into. Its neck was no doubt broken by the attack, but that hardly stopped it for even a second.

  Its head now hanging limp to the side, the Shade scrambled up to its feet, clawing at the dirt just to drag itself towards Jackie. They seized the initiative while it was still downed, rushing over to stomp a foot down on its back, pinning it to the floor. It writhed beneath them, but they held strong, bringing their sword down on each of its remaining limbs to disable it just as Jahd had the first Shade.

  Once the deed was done they pedaled away from the writhing mass, standing beside Raffica as they caught their breath. Even limbless the Shade continued to flex its muscles in an attempt to drag itself along, but it was harmless now. They turned to Raffica to give a breathless “Thanks”, at which she nodded.

  Jackie was glad to see that Raffica was mostly unharmed. It seemed a piece of shrapnel had hit her shoulder, tearing through her shirt and leaving a nasty bruise, but that was the only wound she’d sustained from the surprise attack.

  With the immediate danger dealt with, their mind turned to solving the issue at hand. They needed to regroup with the others as fast as possible before they got overwhelmed. There was no knowing how many Shades the Greater might have at its disposal, and if it managed to corner any of them individually, they wouldn’t stand a chance against its destructive power.

  Jackie: “Raffica, could you carry me while flying?”

  Raffica: “Yeah, I think so.”

  Jackie: “That’s fine. Get us on the Shade’s wall. I need to see where everyone is.”

  She nodded and hooked her arms under Jackie’s from behind. The jets on her knees and heels flared to life, lifting both of them off the ground.

  Movement caught Jackie’s eye. The Greater Shade appeared atop the wall and launched itself up into the air.

  It was looking directly at them.

  Raffica clearly noticed it as well, as her jets sent the pair flying backwards. As they flew, the Shade sent one of its arms lurching forward, its flesh unfolding into a spring-like shape that stretched all the way to the ground where Jackie and Raffica had just been. Its fingers dug into the dirt and its arm began to retract, pulling the rest of its body to the ground.

  The Greater Shade crashed down on all fours, a shockwave of shifting ground spreading out with the monster at its center. Columns of dirt rose and fell around it, ripping trees out of the ground. Even as the columns settled the ground was left cracked and uneven, trees toppling over all around the Shade.

  Jackie and Raffica landed a ways back from it, beyond the reach of its shockwaves. One of the falling trees hit the ground beside them. Jackie stepped out of Raffica’s arms, gritting their teeth as they raised their weapon.

  The Greater Shade locked eyes with them, standing slack with its arms at its side. It leaned forward, raising its arms, and its mouth opened wide, jaw unhinged as it unleashed a terrible screech, spraying neon green spittle across the ground.

  * ? *

  Helena grunted as the Shade slammed against her shield again. She thrust the shield forward, sending the Shade stumbling back, but she didn’t even have a chance to slash at it before it rammed into her shield once more. She jabbed her sword beneath her shield instead, sinking the blade’s tip into the Shade’s stomach. It was the seventh such wound she’d inflicted; they did nothing to slow down her foe.

  To make things worse, this wasn’t the only Shade she was contending with. The other was armed with a rusted sword, but she’d thankfully managed to cut its legs on its initial charge; it was reduced to a limp, but still attempted to charge her at full speed, meaning it fell over every couple steps. If she hadn’t disabled that one immediately, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold out alone.

  Well, ‘alone’ wasn’t quite right. She was with Lii, but currently she was putting her all into protecting the Mimic from the vile assaulter. When the second wave of columns rose up, Helena hadn’t been able to fully escape the line of fire. Lii had attempted to protect her, taking on the form of some stone structure, but the attempt had backfired. The strange movements of the columns had spread to her body as well.

  She’d returned to her human form shortly after that, doubled over on the ground. It didn’t seem like the effect had harmed her body, at least not on the outside, but she was reeling. Whatever the case, she was in no condition to fight; it was up to Helena to protect her.

  Could she even manage that on her own? She was already struggling; if another enemy appeared, she’d be done for. It didn’t seem like the others would be able to come help, either. She’d received a message from Jackie, but she could somehow feel that they didn’t hear her reply, as if they were too distracted. She’d messaged Sam as well, and it seemed he and Strade were also in dire straits.

  The sword-bearing Shade staggered up to its feet and made a lunge for Helena, its blade raised in the air. She stepped back, the other Shade remaining glued to her shield, and allowed the swordsman to topple over in front of her. As it fell she twisted her body to deliver a hefty kick to its head, knocking it into the other Shade’s legs.

  With the first Shade knocked off-balance, she thrust her shield against its face, forcing it back. It rose with a snarl, but she pressed forward, striking it a second time and sending it down to the ground as well. She stepped forward to bring her sword down on the fallen Shade, but—

  The swordsman was crawling towards Lii. She absolutely couldn’t let it reach her. Muttering a curse, she whirled around to go after it—

  The first Shade slammed against her shield again.

  * ? *

  Sparks flew as Strade parried the Shade’s glaive. It retracted the polearm and went for yet another stab; Strade hopped back out of its range.

  The Shade did not take kindly to his retreat, charging after him with repeated thrusts of its weapon. He turned and entered a full sprint, weaving between trees as he led the Shade along, its weapon always no more than a couple feet behind him. Each of the trees he evaded, the Shade simply rammed its body against, caring not for whatever damage it incurred.

  Something leapt out to Strade’s side—a second Shade, this one wielding a handaxe. Strade passed another tree as the new Shade closed in, ducking past so its axe cleaved into the tree’s bark. With it stuck, he whirled around the base of the tree to come face-to-face with the glaive Shade, already mid-thrust. He sidestepped the attack and grabbed the haft of the glaive, yanking it forward just to jab it back, ramming its other end into the Shade’s neck. It let out gargled growls, its hands clawing at its own weapon in an attempt to reach Strade.

  With it momentarily held in place, an arrow zipped through the jungle, piercing the side of the Shade’s head and right through one of its eyes. Naturally, neither that fatal wound nor the butt of the glaive carving an indent into its neck did anything to slow the vile thing’s movements.

  Strade released the glaive and lunged forward, sinking one of his knives into the Shade’s throat—he could clearly imagine the movement, but he held himself back from taking it. It wouldn’t make a difference; it would just be an unnecessary risk.

  To his side, the axe-wielding Shade finally tore its weapon free of the tree, making a wild swing at him. He leapt backwards, the glaiveman charging forward the second he stopped holding it back. It and the other crashed into each other, tumbling to the ground in a tangled, writhing heap.

  Strade flung a knife at one of their exposed necks, but he did not. Strade pounced on the fallen foes and slit their throats, but he did not. Strade tore the Shades to shreds with a flurry of attacks, but he did not.

  He turned and ran, putting as much distance between him and the Shades as possible.

  It was frustrating. It was so, so, so frustrating, being so useless, being unable to do a thing. He and Sam had been isolated by the Greater Shade’s walls, and it was all Strade could do to buy time and keep the Shades distracted.

  Of all the members gathered for this mission, they were the two whose weapons and fighting styles were by far the least suited to fighting Shades. They could not bleed out or die, so Sam couldn’t do much more than blind them, and Strade couldn’t deliver the fatal blows his techniques focused on. His knives were too small to dismember a limb, and getting in close enough to disable them would leave him vulnerable to their rabid, thrashing attacks.

  He and Sam needed to regroup with the others, but how? The Shades were too persistent—they were already catching up to him. On top of that, if he got too far from them, they’d no doubt turn their attention to Sam, who’d fare even worse against them. Should he have Sam leave to find the others, then? But he wasn’t sure if Sam could climb the wall, nor if doing so would be safe. He couldn’t tell how far the walls extended, either.

  Damn it. Everything about this was frustrating.

  He whipped around a tree just as the glaiveman lunged at him, its blade sinking into the bark instead of his flesh. At least these things were predictable.

  * ? *

  Jahd had decades of experience with Shades and Liches.

  Like most Undead, he was born in Gravemarch in the nation of Providence. He appeared fully-formed in the middle of the swamp, a confused mess of mismatched memories until a patrol found him and helped him get his bearings. The only things of substance his past lives left him were a severe alcohol problem and some skill with a sword, so he, like most Undead, enlisted in Providence’s army in search of purpose.

  In the northmost corner of Gravemarch, nestled between the ocean and the Ciric Mountains, was a place known as the Lichyard Bog. The entirety of the region was thick with the power of the Ley of Death, hence Undead appearing there, but the magic in the bog was tainted. Rather than Undead, that place spawned Liches, and they had formed their own twisted facsimile of a nation which they called Salvation.

  Providence and Salvation were locked in an eternal war, one where fallen soldiers were recycled endlessly by the Cycle that created both Undead and Liches. Jahd’s memories of his previous lives were spotty, but he was quite sure that the soul that granted him his swordsmanship had been one such soldier, fallen at the hands of these vile things. Jahd, too, joined the cause of that endless conflict, doing his part to keep the Liches at bay, locked in their bog lest they torment the rest of the world.

  Funny, that. Despite the thousands of Undead who dedicated themselves to that endless war, there were still Liches outside the bog.

  It was thankless work, but it granted him skills and experience that served him well when finally he chose to retire from it and venture into the outside world. Most relevant to the present moment, it granted him decades of experience with Shades and Liches—he’d personally seen to the deaths of at least a dozen Greater Shades.

  Never, not once, had he ever seen one display cunning on the same level as this one.

  Shades were simple things. They weren’t alive, so they could not think. The animated corpses only knew how to kill, and they could perform very basic actions in the pursuit of that goal—walking, running, holding and swinging a weapon—but they simply weren’t capable of anything beyond that.

  Greater Shades were a step above the common rabble, possessing a degree of intelligence. They could conceive of simple strategies like lying in wait and ambushing their prey, and they could issue simple commands to the lesser Shades—where to move, what to attack. They also possessed some combat skill; they could do more than doggedly thrash at anything that moved.

  But this? Using a Shade as a distraction? Using its powers to divide their forces? Its actions were comparable to that of a real, living strategist. It was unheard of. For that matter, a Shade retreating as it had from Lapala’s squad was already an oddity.

  Why was this one so much smarter than it should be? Was a Lich nearby, issuing commands directly to the Greater Shade? Or was it simply an anomaly?

  In either case, he needed to regroup with the others as soon as possible. He and Celeste had been cut off from the others; that grouping couldn’t possibly be worse. Of everyone gathered here, the two of them were by far the ones best-suited to fighting Shades. Having them together only meant that the others were all the more vulnerable.

  The Greater Shade seemed to be perfectly aware of their effectiveness against its minions, as well, for it sent a constant stream of Shades at them. They came alone or in pairs, their arrivals staggered; was it trying to slow them down?

  Jahd and Celeste stood side-by-side. Ahead of them, a Shade wielding a mace charged straight ahead; behind them, a Shade with one arm, no weapon. Jahd turned away from the maceman, leaving it to Celeste. As he dashed to his quarry, the Ghost went incorporeal and descended beneath the ground.

  He felled his target with ease. A swift slash took off its remaining arm and its head. It stumbled from the sudden change in weight, but even as just a torso and legs it continued its assault, attempting to tackle Jahd; he kicked it to the ground.

  Behind him, the maceman leapt forward, weapon raised over its head. Before it could reach him, Celeste emerged from the ground just behind it, spinning her body vertically. Her claymore drew a silver ring in the air around her, and the Shade was cleaved cleanly in two, gore spilling out of each half as they toppled over. The magic which animated the Shade remained in one half, trying desperately to crawl with just an arm and a leg; it was harmless, now.

  Jahd: “To the wall! We’re meetin’ up with th’others!”

  He could already see yet another Shade approaching, but he couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Based on Lapala’s full report, he and Celeste had already killed half of what the Greater Shade should have at its disposal, but it was already an anomaly; who was to say it hadn’t created more servants? If the others faced an onslaught like this, they might not last long.

  He sprinted at full speed to the wall, Celeste floating beside him. As he approached, a shrill buzz grew increasingly louder, approaching from his side. A glance revealed the source—a swarm of corrupted mosquitoes.

  They weren’t regular mosquitoes, mind you, but local monsters which had come to bear the same name. Each of the insects was roughly the size of a housecat, with buzzing wings, round eyes, and long, bladed proboscises. Half a dozen of these creatures approached, their bodies mangled and rotting—more Shades.

  He grit his teeth. Should he send Celeste on without him? She could easily pass through the wall with her abilities, but would he be able to hold out on his own? Mosquitoes weren’t especially strong, but his techniques were far less reliable against inhuman opponents—and more Shades were approaching from behind.

  No time to think about it. He opened his mouth to issue the order—and then the mosquitoes each fell from the sky.

  There was a sharp ring, and something barely visible whizzed through the pack of insects. It was a small, faint glow, but it moved with the swiftness of an arrow, curving between its targets and piercing right through each of their wings before dissipating.

  * ? *

  Strade slid to a stop as he heard a sharp ringing sound, whirling around just in time to catch sight of the source. Several dim lights whizzed through the air, homing in on the joints of the two Shades pursuing him. They pierced straight through their knees and elbows, leaving the Shades to crumple into heaps on the ground.

  * ? *

  Helena thrust her shield forward, shoving away the Shade that had been pressed against it. She needed to make a split-second decision—did she risk an attack to disable this Shade, or turn around and stop the one behind her, knowing she’d get hit from behind?

  Before she could act, the choice was made for her. A sharp ring pierced her ears, and accompanying the sound came a faint glow that pierced straight through both of the Shade’s knees. It stumbled, falling face-first into the dirt. She hadn’t the faintest clue what had saved her, but she didn’t stop to think about it, instead turning to bring her blade down on the Shade going after Lii.

  * ? *

  Jackie watched as the Greater Shade reared back an arm. Raffica grabbed the back of their jacket, preparing to drag them out of harm’s way—but just a moment before it attacked, its head flicked to the side, changing focus. It instead whipped its arm into the air to its side, its fist intercepting a faint glow that was zipping through the air towards it. It sprang to the side, retreating as yet another glow came its way.

  The glow curved through the air, weaving between trees and ferns in pursuit of the Shade. With a growl the beast shot its arm forward, meeting the glow head-on with an extended punch.

  * ? *

  Above the intersection of the two crude walls of dirt, there was a yellow glow. The tiny spec of yellow flitted about in circles, its movements drawing the shape of a sphere as it spun and spun and spun. As the glow moved, it kicked up a wind, forming a swirling tempest within the center of its sphere, portions of collected wind licking about in pursuit of its master.

  Then, the wind was unleashed. The glow grabbed individual portions, twisting them around her body, and sent each of them flying off in different directions. The wind was condensed, solidified, and took on a faint white glow as it shot through the air like a bullet. These ‘wind bullets’ curved according to the glow’s will, weaving through the jungle to find their marks. Simultaneously, the projectiles struck true across all four battlefields, sending Shades toppling to the ground.

  Finally the glow came to a stop, and it ceased to be a glow and instead took on the form of a small, yellow-haired woman. Her wings buzzed, hair flowing wildly as the rest of her gathered wind swirled around her. She took a deep breath, shouting not just at the Shades, but in defiance of the world,

  Sils: “After all the blood an’ sweat I put into this mission, ya think I’m gonna let it fail at the first obstacle!? Ya damn Shades can go ta hell ‘fore I let you harm any o’ my men!”

  Chapter Glossary:

  Gravemarch - An extensive swamp located on the western edge of Kiyona. The Ley of Death rests heavy here, and so it is where most Undead are born from the Cycle.

  | Lichyard Bog - A section of Gravemarch where the Ley magic is tainted, causing Liches to be born instead of Undead.

  | Providence - A nation of Undead within Gravemarch, consisting mostly of those who are naturally born there. Locked in an endless war with Salvation to keep the Liches relatively contained.

  | Salvation - A nation of Liches within the Lichyard Bog, locked in an endless war with Providence. Less a real nation and more a mockery led by creatures that know only violence.

  Maneater - Giant spider monsters native to Tropika. They're completely passive unless you touch their web, in which case they will mercilessly devour you. Tame Maneaters form a perimeter of webs around Heapwatch.

  | Mosquito - Monsters similar in appearance to their namesake insect, about the size of a housecat. Their proboscises are bladed, and they hunt in packs.

  | Shade - Lifeless corpses animated by the magic of Liches. They ceaselessly pursue the living, their only purpose to exact violence. Can be found both in the Heap and in the outside world.

  | Greater Shade - A higher form of Shade, possessing a degree of intelligence, a twisted version of the racial magic of whatever race it used to be, and the ability to command the lesser Shades.

  | Lich - Twisted beings born from tainted death magic in the Lichyard Bog. They create Shades and spread rotting corruption across the land.