Sylvie's heart pounded as she read the details of the mission update.
**{A Slorde horde has awakened and is moving towards Shun Village to enact revenge. This horde must be cleared or avoided to return the item to Mordell—New Mission Grade D —> A, Rewards: Unknown.}**
Mia's face went pale with panic. "You goddamn idiot!" she screamed at Gram, her voice trembling with fury. "You've dragged us into your mess!"
Bane, recognizing the spiraling chaos, knew he had to take control. "Mia, with your permission, I'd like to take over as leader," he said calmly, despite the urgency of the situation.
Mia, overwhelmed and visibly shaken, simply nodded. She had no experience handling an A-rank mission, and both Sylvie and Bane knew it. This was beyond her capabilities, especially given the looming threat of a Slorde horde.
Bane immediately sprang into action. The head guard informed him of the protocol for such a situation: evacuate all citizens into the hardened caves carved into the valley walls. These caves were designed to obstruct the Slordes' movement and provide a safe haven until the danger passed. But the critical factor was time—they had no idea how close the horde was or what the mutation might mean for the Slordes' behavior.
As the trio and the village guards rushed to gather the villagers, Gram seized the opportunity to slip away, sneaking into the shadows like the rat he was. He didn't care about the villagers or the impending danger. He only cared about saving his own skin. The thought of facing the Slorde horde terrified him, and he had no intention of sticking around to find out what would happen.
Mia, finally regaining some composure, was helping to guide the last of the villagers into the caves when she felt a drop of water hit her head. She looked up to see storm clouds rolling in, dark and menacing. Sylvie noticed it too and realized with a sinking feeling what it meant.
"Guys, we need to hurry!" Sylvie shouted. "If we lose the moonlight, it will be pure darkness in the valley!"
Bane and the lead village guard exchanged grim looks before they doubled their efforts to secure the last cave. "We can't fight them in the dark," the guard said urgently. "We have to wait them out."
Bane was about to agree when a woman rushed out of the cave, her face etched with panic. "My daughter! I can't find her, please help me!" she cried.
Bane turned to the guard, his decision made. "We'll find her. Tell us where you were last," he said, his voice steady. After getting the information, Bane ordered the guard to secure himself with the villagers while they searched for the girl.
When Bane met up with Sylvie and Mia to inform them of the situation, Sylvie could hardly believe their luck. Not only were they facing a horde of mutated monsters, but now there was a missing child as well. And then, as if things couldn't get worse, she realized something.
"Where the hell is Gram?" she asked, looking around.
The trio quickly came to the same conclusion: Gram had run off. Sylvie seethed with anger, vowing to report his cowardice—if they survived.
Bane made the call to split up and search for the girl but to stay close to each other. The search area wasn't large, but they needed to move quickly, as the Slordes could arrive at any moment. Meanwhile, Gram scurried around the village like a rat, finally ducking into a stone building to catch his breath.
As he tried to steady himself, he heard soft whimpering. Intrigued, he followed the sound to a cabinet. Opening the door, he smirked. Inside was the missing girl, her eyes wide with fear.
Sylvie moved cautiously through the North East section of the village, her senses on high alert. She heard a rustling noise and quickly ducked behind a carriage. Peeking around, her blood ran cold. A three-meter-tall Slorde was moving methodically through the village, its massive form casting long shadows. She stilled her breath and body, knowing any sudden movement could draw its attention.
The Slorde made a slight clicking noise as it moved, its head turning from side to side. Sylvie noticed that the sound seemed to guide its movements. She immeidately went to conjure a concealment spell but before she could react, a piece of the roof above her fell, landing with a loud thud. She glanced up and inwardly cursed her luck—two more Slordes were perched on the roof, their eyes scanning the area.
The mutated Slorde on the ground suddenly stopped and turned its head directly toward her, its massive eyes locking onto her position. Sylvie's heart pounded in her chest as she realized it was staring right at her. Seconds stretched into what felt like hours as the beast seemed to consider whether the noise was its sought after pray.
"Urgh urgh. crrkkkkykkk."
The Slorde reached out a massive, clawed hand, sniffing the air. Sylvie realized it wasn't her it was after—it was drawn to something else. Then, without warning, the creature lunged forward, barely missing her, smashing through the building wall. It proceeded to drag something out or someone. It was Gram! He was directly behind the wall and had been hiding inside but now he was out into the open.
To Sylvie's horror, she saw that Gram was holding the little girl in front of him, using her as a human shield. "You help me, or I swear I'll throw this bitch to the creatures!" Gram shouted, his voice trembling with fear and desperation.
Sylvie was sickened. Not only was Gram using the girl as a shield, but now he was threatening her life to save his own skin. It was the lowest thing she had ever seen. Her mind raced, and memories of past traumas flashed before her eyes. She figured out a plan and knew what she had to do.
"Hex Magic: Indominous Constraint," she whispered, her voice filled with resolve.
Sylvie's magic flared, creating ethereal chains that wrapped around Gram, immobilizing him. The Slorde, sensing the magic, turned its attention to Sylvie, its eyes narrowing. Sylvie didn't hesitate—she rushed forward as she began to glow with dark energy.
"Hex Conjuring: Two-layer Saber!" she shouted, slashing at the Slorde's arms with precise, powerful strikes. The beast roared in pain, releasing its grip on Gram, who fell to the ground, still clutching the terrified girl.
Gram sneered, his eyes wild with desperation. "Good job, witch. Now make sure I can escape," he spat, trying to scramble away.
Sylvie's anger boiled over. "You coward! You're not going anywhere!" she snapped, her voice icy with fury.
The little girl sobbed, "Help me, please! I want my mommy!"
Sylvie's heart broke at the sound of the child's voice. Her resolve hardened. She couldn't let Gram continue to endanger others with his cowardice. She would protect the girl, no matter what.
With a swift motion, Sylvie conjured another spell. "Hex Magic: Shadow Bind!" Dark tendrils shot out from her hand, wrapping around Gram and pulling him down into a shadowy abyss as he screamed unsure what to do. "Feral Magi...." He tried to conjure a spell but was cut off by one of the tendrils as it covered it mouth.
The creature, seeing Gram sink into the ground lunged at him to not let him escape. The girl now sitting above ground cried as the towering beast now stood over her snarling. But it suddenly turned towards Sylvie as it needed to redirect its anger to the one who stole its prey. It immediately rushed forward as she dodged and maneuvered herself into position to grab the child and pull her to safety. As the Slorde focused stumbled from its missed attempt, Sylvie turned and ran, the girl clinging to her.
Behind her, she heard desperate cries as the Slorde's roar echoed through the village. Sylvie didn't look back. She had one goal now: to get the girl to safety and regroup with Bane and Mia.
She arrived back at the village center, breathless and clutching the girl tightly. Bane and Mia were already there, both looking relieved to see her.
"Where's Gram?" Bane asked, his tone serious.
Sylvie shook her head. "He's tied up" she said simply, not willing to elaborate in front of the child. Bane nodded, understanding. "We need to get to the caves now," he said, urgency clear in his voice.
As they made their way to the caves, the sky darkened further, the storm clouds blotting out the last traces of moonlight. The Slordes would be upon them soon, and they had to be ready.
Inside the cave, the villagers huddled together, fear etched on their faces. Sylvie, Bane, and Mia stood guard at the entrance, their senses on high alert. The girl Sylvie had saved clung to her, too scared to let go.
The tension was thick as they waited in the dark, the only sound the distant, ominous clicks of the approaching Slordes. They knew the real battle was about to begin.