Chapter 106: The First Encounter
Each community in the alliance dedicated its resources to fight against the approaching darkness. Despite their efforts people started feeling more afraid when these strange beings avoided detection. They drifted through the jungle without warning and just as quickly disappeared as if they were silent breezes.
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The leaders of Vellion's central hall gathered with Natasha and Alison under one roof. Charts covering the table displayed where the shadow beings had appeared, plus possible ways they might have moved.
Natasha drew a circle on the map, showing how the creatures moved around us. "Testing our boundaries. They move in a very purposeful way, not by chance.
Dren from Ashport studied the table closely as he examined the evidence. They must have chosen their time for attack carefully since no attack has occurred yet. What are they waiting for?"
Alison gave his theory: "I think they're studying us before they decide to attack." "Like we do with them."
Everyone in the room stopped talking and absorbed his information.
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After bedtime Natasha had trouble falling asleep. She paced through Vellion's corridors unable to rest. At the armory Alison stood by ready to work on his sword.
He stared at his knife without turning to her when he asked "Same here?"
She shook her head. I keep turning the shadows over and over in my mind. Our armed forces train for combat yet they still don't understand what enemies they face or how to defend against them.
After putting away his sword Alison rose to his feet. "We'll figure it out. We always do."
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One of our forward scouts delivered a note to headquarters on the following day. They saw the shadows and barely made it out alive.
The moment they arrived Natasha and Alison headed to speak with the surviving scouts. The camp looked sad and depressing when the scouts arrived. The scouts returned looking scared to death, their faces white from fear.
He spoke with great fear after witnessing the new creatures. "We attacked them but our weapons couldn't even scratch them." The scouts tried to fight them, but attacked with such power that the survivors felt like they were dying slowly.
Another scout told us they didn't kill us right then and there. They seemed to let us go just to bring back our fear to Vellion.
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The council members returned to their meeting place in Vellion. Everyone in the room felt the weight of news from the scouts.
Our weapons have failed us so what should our response be? Ira from Cresthaven spoke with fear in her voice, asking the question.
We can adjust according to the situation Natasha responded decisively. We've passed through harsh times before, and we made it. We'll find their weakness."
Dren crossed his arms. "And if we don't?"
Despite our uncertain situation Alison speaks without fear. Our survival depends on stopping the enemy from ruining all we have created.
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The guild's researchers and builders spent their whole day looking for ways to stop the shadow creatures. They brought together both old methods and Heart energy, hoping their new tools would be able to fight against what they couldn't see.
The two women traveled into the jungle regularly to explore and understand their foes better. Their meetings at this point produced unfamiliar details instead of helpful knowledge. The shadows followed a clear objective though nobody understood what they wanted to achieve.
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The shadows attacked for the first time on a particular night. They attacked the small Vellion outpost with sudden disorderly actions. The military delayed their arrival until every soldier at the outpost had died.
Two survivors viewed the damaged site while feeling deep pain in their souls. The attack announced that a full-scale conflict had begun.
According to Natasha she no longer fought for basic survival because her anger had grown too strong. Our mission now is to prevent these threats from destroying all that exists.
Alison put her hand on her friend's back. "We'll stop them. Whatever it takes."
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The dark watcher in the forest remained calm as he saw what the coalition forces had done to respond to the attack. The attack on the base was only a start, giving us a preview of what the Alliance will face.
The sinister presence lifted its palm and made its surrounding darkness dance across the ground. They underestimate our power the voice hissed with disdain. "Let them try."
The alliance got their first warning when the jungle assault happened. Nothing had truly started yet without the shadows.