Chapter List

ight!” Shannon shouted into the silence. Ranko dove out of the way and the Warrior of the Night’s target cleared. She spun the silver talon on her right hand to the back of her fingers and reached for her quiver. The Huntress gathered two arrows at once and leaned the sleek bow to her right for a transverse shot.

The first shriek pursued the Warrior of the Storms to its right just as the Huntress expected. Kishi roared sharply, and the other monster hesitated as it turned to confront the big cat. The two monsters were now far enough apart for the Warrior of the Night’s double attack. Shannon lifted her black longbow level with her eyesight and turned as she fired, casting the first arrow into one shriek’s throat as the second pierced the center of the other monster’s back with a fierce thumping sound. Two lifeless stone figures crashed against the ground.

Ranko smiled and made a victorious fist. Shannon smiled back. The warriors couldn’t leave their guard down for even a moment, however, since the two girls knew shrieks always roamed in large groups. It was unlikely that Sai Jarthius would allow so few to roam without at least one lesser minion. It was the foul duty of the lesser minions to control Jarthius’ beasts and also to “turn” those the shrieks defeated to the will of the Cryptic. The fact these four were acting alone was a telling sign that perhaps Sai Jarthius wasn’t nearby.

Kishi was busy peering down the hill at the broken remains of the first creature, partly to remind the Huntress to recover her arrows and partly to make sure the fiend didn’t suddenly come back to life. Ranko also stood at the edge of the hillside, looking intently into the distance at the empty expanse of windswept rock to the right of the arena. The Warrior of the Night pulled the last of her arrows from the stone remains of the defeated creatures. Ranko wasn’t completely sure, but she thought she could see a large number of motionless bodies strewn around the single glowing orb of light.

“Alright, Kishi, we’re going to make for that light and see what’s up,” Ranko said. Kishi took his place alongside the two girls as Ranko motioned to Shannon and indicated the light. Shannon nodded, and the group slowly made their way down the hill.

The wind began to subside somewhat as the small company entered the wide flat circle of smooth rock that surrounded the huge stone arena. Ranko was tense. For all she knew it was more dangerous now than before. Neither of the two Ajan Warriors had any idea what had happened or which side had been victorious. Something incredibly dark and hideous had emerged from the arena, summoned by the Cryptic himself. Who ultimately confronted it and the outcome of the battle were two questions for which there were as yet no answers. As far as the Warrior of the Storms was concerned, another round of that battle could begin at any moment, and she was determined to be ready for anything.

Ranko brandished Thundercaller and slowed her pace as they gradually approached the first of the bodies lying on the ground.

Continue to Chapter Four