They fought fiercely, their swords clashing with those of the hooded figures. The air was thick with tension as they battled for what felt like hours. Finally, the last of the figures fell to the ground, and the group took a moment to catch their breath.
As they stood there, panting and covered in sweat, a low, gravelly voice spoke from the darkness. "Are you the ones responsible for the disappearances?"
They turned to see a tall, hooded figure stepping out of the shadows. Its face was obscured, but they could see the glint of its eyes in the dim light.
"We're not responsible for anything," Rowan replied, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "We're just trying to find out what's been happening here."
The figure stepped closer, and the group could feel the weight of its gaze upon them. "MANY HAVE CAME BEFORE YOU, CLAIMS THE SAME THING," it said. "But none have been able to solve the mystery of the disappearances."
Serenya stepped forward, her hands raised in a gesture of peace. "We're not here to make any claims," she said. "We just want to help."
The figure seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking again. "Very well," it said. "Follow me."
The group treaded cautiously behind the figure as they entered the dense woods. Their hearts pounded with fear and anticipation as they anticipated what lay ahead. The woods grew darker as they advanced, and the sound of their footsteps echoed eerily in the silence.
The figure led them to a clearing, which seemed to have an ancient aura surrounding it. In the centre stood a large stone altar, covered in strange symbols and markings that were incomprehensible to the group. The figure pointed towards the altar, and the group approached it with trepidation.
As they approached the altar, the group felt strange energy emanating from it. The air around them grew heavy, and a faint whispering sound filled their ears. Suddenly, the figure turned towards them, its hood falling back to reveal a young woman with piercing blue eyes.
Rowan stepped closer to the altar, trying to make sense of the markings.
"What do you think this is?" Casey asked, keeping her distance from the altar.
"I'm not sure," Rowan replied, "but it looks like some kind of ritualistic site. The symbols suggest a connection to dark magic."
Aricen unsheathed his sword and held it at the ready. "Whatever it is, we should destroy it before it causes any more harm."
The figure who led them to the clearing shook her head. "No, we need to study it first. It may hold the key to stopping this madness."
Serenya looked at the figure sceptically. "How do we know you're not involved in this?"
The figure's eyes widened in shock. "I swear, I'm not! I'm just a concerned villager trying to find answers."
After a tense moment of silence, Rowan spoke up. "I agree with the villager. We need to study this altar and figure out what's going on. But we also need to keep a close eye on it."
Casey nodded in agreement. "We should set up camp nearby and take shifts keeping watch. That way, we can study the altar and keep the village safe at the same time."
The night air was crisp, and the stars were shining brightly overhead. Aricen yawned as he woke up to change shifts with someone who was watching over the camp, his eyes scanning the clearing for any signs of movement. His mind was racing with thoughts of the hooded figures and their strange disappearance, and the unease he felt was palpable.
He heard the faint rustling of leaves behind him and spun around, sword at the ready. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized there was nothing there. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. "Where did they go?" he whispered.
He moved forward, looking around in the surroundings. Everything looked fine, just the hooded figures left them without a word. He spun around, thinking of waking up everyone else. He noticed something. His hands clutched the sword, as he moved forward hesitantly He was sure now.
Serenya was missing.
Aricen's heart sank as he realized that she was nowhere to be seen. He searched the camp frantically, calling out her name, but there was no response. He woke up the rest of the group, and they began to search the surrounding area.
"Maybe she went to relieve herself," Casey suggested, trying to keep her voice calm.
"We checked that already," Aricen replied, his voice heavy with worry. "She's not here."
"Did the hooded figures fool us and took Serenya with them?" Rowan stopped on his feet and said in a low voice. No doubt this can be the worst-case scenario.
They searched high and low, looking in every bush and every tree, but there was no trace of her. As they ran through the forest, their hearts pounding with fear, they could feel a sense of desperation growing within them.
"We have to find her," Casey said, her voice shaking. "We can't just leave her out here."
Aricen nodded grimly, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement. "We'll split up and cover more ground," he said. "But be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with here."
The group split up, each one heading in a different direction, searching for any sign of Serenya. Aricen ran through the forest, his sword at the ready, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger.
As he ran, he could hear the sound of his own heart pounding in his chest. The fear of the unknown drove him forward. He called out Serenya's name, his voice echoing through the trees, but there was no response.
As he emerged from the forest, he could see the lights of the village in the distance. He ran towards them, his heart racing with a mix of fear and hope.
As he entered the village, there was no sign of any person there. The village was empty, all the shops were closed and the streets were left with silence hanging. He ignored everything as he ran around them, his focus solely on finding Serenya.
He searched every corner of the village, looking in every alleyway and every house, but there was no sign of her. He was about to give up when he spotted a figure in the distance.
He ran towards it, his heart pounding with hope, but as he got closer, he could see that it wasn't Serenya. It was a hooded figure lurking in the shadows.
Aricen drew his sword, his eyes fixed on the figure. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice shaking with fear and anger.
The figure didn't respond, but Aricen could feel its eyes on him, studying him with an intensity that made his skin crawl. He took a step forward.
Aricen cursed under his breath, his heart sinking in despair. He had lost Serenya, and he didn't know what to do next. Aricen was caught off guard as the figured lurched towards him. On a closer look, it was one of the hooded figures back from the forest.
The hooded figure's attacks were relentless, and Aricen was struggling to keep up. Each blow came with such force that it felt like he was being hit by a battering ram. He could feel his arms trembling under the strain, and he knew he couldn't keep this up much longer.
Aricen tried to counterattack, but the figure was too fast. It seemed to anticipate his every move, and he couldn't land a single blow. He felt his sword getting heavier and heavier in his hand, and he knew he was running out of time.
As the figure prepared to deliver the final blow, Aricen gathered all his strength and leaped backwards. He stumbled and fell to the ground, but managed to dodge the attack.
As he scrambled to his feet, he saw the figure turning to run away, carrying Serenya over its shoulder. Aricen gave chase, his sword still in his hand.
The figure darted through the streets, weaving in and out of the lanes with the agility of a deer. Aricen pursued it relentlessly, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination.
"I can't lose sight."
Finally, the figure emerged from a clearing on the outskirts of the village. Aricen saw that it was not alone; several other hooded figures were waiting there, standing in a circle around a stone altar.
"Oh, so we are back to where we started," he huffed.
The figure with Serenya on its shoulder stepped forward, and the others parted to let it pass. It placed her gently on the altar, then stepped back to join the others.
Aricen stepped forward, his sword held out in front of him. "Release her," he demanded, his voice ringing through the clearing.
The figures didn't respond. They stood there, watching him with blank, emotionless eyes.
Aricen felt a chill run down his spine. He had faced many foes in his time, but he had never encountered anything like this. He knew that these figures were not humans, but he couldn't begin to guess what they were.
As he stood there, sword in hand, he knew that he had only one chance to save Serenya. He took a deep breath, then charged at the figures with all his might.