Ludwig sat up, listening intently to the sound of the hounds in the distance. Adalyn stirred next to him, her eyes fluttering open. She looked pale and disoriented.
"What's going on?" she asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.
Ludwig's expression was grave. "We have company," he said, nodding in the direction of the hounds.
Adalyn's eyes widened in fear. "How did they find us?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Ludwig shook his head, frowning in confusion. "I don't know," he admitted. "I used my magic to create a barrier around us. They shouldn't have been able to track us."
Adalyn looked at him with concern. "Could they have found a way around the barrier?" she asked.
Ludwig considered this for a moment before shaking his head again. "I don't think so," he said firmly. "It's a very powerful spell. It would take more than just some hounds to break through it."
Adalyn shuddered, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. "What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Ludwig stood up, his expression determined. "We need to move," he said, his voice firm. "We can't stay here. We need to find a way out of this forest."
Adalyn nodded, looking up at him with gratitude. "I trust you," she said quietly.
Ludwig smiled at her, his eyes softening. "Thank you," he said gently. He reached for her hand and helped her up.
"Come on," he said, leading her deeper into the cave they had been hiding in. He hoped there was another exit somewhere.
They walked through the dark tunnel, feeling their way along the walls. Ludwig used his magic sparingly to create small lights that guided them forward.
He knew his magic was running low and he had to conserve it as much as possible.
He also knew that they were running out of time.
The sound of the hounds grew louder and closer behind them.
They were catching up fast.
They reached a fork in the tunnel where two paths diverged.
"Which way?" Adalyn asked anxiously.
Ludwig hesitated for a second before choosing the left path.
"This way," he said confidently.
He hoped he was right.
They ran along the left path until they reached another fork where three paths diverged.
"Which way now?" Adalyn asked again nervously.
Ludwig looked at each path quickly before choosing the middle one.
"This way," he repeated.
He hoped he was still right.
They ran along the middle path until they reached a dead end.
A wall of solid rock blocked their way.
"No!" Adalyn cried out in despair.
"We're trapped!"
Ludwig felt a surge of panic as well.
He turned around and saw a large shadow looming over them.
It was one of the hounds.
It had followed them all this way and found them.
It snarled and bared its teeth menacingly.
It was ready to attack.
"Stay behind me!" Ludwig shouted at Adalyn as he stepped forward bravely.
He raised his hand and summoned all his remaining magic into a barrier between them and the hound.
The barrier shimmered in front of him like a shield made of light.
The hound lunged at him with full force but bounced off the barrier with a loud thud.
It growled angrily and tried again but met with the same result.
The barrier held but Ludwig felt it weakening under each impact. He knew it wouldn't last long. He needed another plan.
Ludwig and Adalyn were trapped in the dark, narrow tunnel with the hound growling and snarling on the other side of Ludwig's weakening barrier. They looked around frantically, trying to find a way out of the cave.
"There has to be a way out of here," Adalyn said, her voice trembling.
Ludwig nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. He noticed a small opening in the ceiling and pointed it out to Adalyn.
"Look up there," he said. "There's a way out. But how do we get up there?"
Adalyn looked at the opening, which was at least ten feet above them. "We need something to stand on," she said. "But there's nothing around here."
Ludwig's eyes darted around the cave, searching for anything they could use. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"I can create a platform," he said, determination in his voice. "A barrier for you to stand on. You can reach the opening and get out of here."
Adalyn looked at him, uncertain. "But what about you?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Ludwig shook his head. "I'll hold off the hound. Just go. Get out of here,"
Adalyn nodded, understanding the plan. Ludwig quickly summoned all of his remaining magic to create a platform of light for Adalyn to stand on. She stepped onto it, and it rose up towards the opening in the ceiling.
The hound snarled and lunged at Ludwig's barrier, but it held strong. Ludwig focused all of his energy on keeping the barrier up, gritting his teeth with the effort.
Adalyn reached the opening and pulled herself up, scrambling through the narrow passage until she finally emerged into the daylight outside.
She turned back to see Ludwig still holding off the hound, his barrier flickering and fading. She knew she had to find something to help him.
Ludwig stood alone in the cave, his sword in hand, as the hound continued to snarl and growl on the other side of the barrier. Ludwig knew that he couldn't hold the barrier for much longer, so he decided to take a different approach.
He took a deep breath and braced himself for what was to come. He closed his eyes for a moment and whispered a spell under his breath, feeling the magic flowing through him. When he opened his eyes again, they were glowing a bright blue.
He charged at the barrier with his sword, which was now glowing with the same blue light as his eyes. The barrier shattered into a million pieces as he sliced through it with his sword, sending shards of magic flying in all directions.
The hound, surprised by Ludwig's sudden attack, stumbled back for a moment, giving Ludwig an opening. He lunged forward, swinging his sword at the hound with all his might.
The hound dodged and weaved, snapping its jaws at Ludwig as he swung his sword, but Ludwig was too quick for it. He slashed and parried, his sword clashing against the hound's teeth and claws with a metallic ring.
The hound was fierce and relentless, but Ludwig was determined to protect Adalyn and defeat the beast. He kept attacking, his movements becoming faster and more precise as he focused all his energy on the fight.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ludwig saw his opening. The hound lunged at him with all its might, but Ludwig sidestepped it and struck it with his sword, slicing through its fur and flesh.
The hound howled in pain and collapsed to the ground, its body convulsing. Ludwig stood over it, his sword still glowing with magic, as he watched it take its last breath.
He felt a surge of relief and triumph as he realized that he had won. He had defeated the hound. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling, wondering what had become of Adalyn.
He climbed up the debris and used the last of his magic to create pices of the broken barrier to use as a staircase and saw Adalyn waiting for him outside the cave near a tree line. She looked relieved to see him and smiled as he approached her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, panting heavily.
"I'm fine," she said, wrapping her arms around him.
Ludwig was surprised by the sudden embrace, but he welcomed it. He hugged her back tightly, feeling relieved that they had made it out alive. He looked at her face and noticed the dirt and debris in her dark brown hair, and the torn and destroyed dark red dress she was wearing. Despite the state of her appearance, she still looked beautiful to him.
As they hugged, Ludwig heard a faint rustling sound coming from the tree line. He pulled away from Adalyn and looked in the direction of the noise, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Ludwig frowned, sensing something was wrong. But before he could ask, a group of shadow guards emerged from the trees. They were dressed in black and carried swords, their faces hidden by masks.
Ludwig recognized them immediately as his own guards - the ones he had trusted with his life. But now they were his enemies, and they moved towards him with deadly intent.
They were silent and deadly, and Ludwig knew they meant business. As they stepped forward, he saw the same blood-red jewel around one of their necks that have the same color as the one Adalyn carried. Ludwig realized that it was the source of the guards' tracking ability - she had been carrying it all along, knowingly or not.
Realization dawned on him. The jewels were a pair, and the shadow guards were able to track them.
The guards did not speak. They simply attacked, their swords flashing in the sunlight. Ludwig drew his own sword, feeling a rush of anger and betrayal. How could his own guards turn against him?
Without warning, the shadow guards lunged at Ludwig with their swords drawn. Ludwig's reflexes kicked in, and he pulled out his own sword just in time to parry their attack. The shadow guards were strong, much stronger than Ludwig, and their swords glinted menacingly in the sunlight.
Ludwig was outnumbered and outmatched, but he refused to back down. He gritted his teeth and fought with all his might, dodging their blows and launching his own attacks. Not having eaten a full meal or time to properly rest the last few days is catching up to him. Making him slower and weaker with time.
Ludwig gritted his teeth as he parried a blow from one of the shadow guards. The force of the attack sent a shock-wave through his arm, making him stumble backward. He stumbled and almost fell, but caught himself just in time. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to catch his breath, his sword arm trembling from the effort.
The shadow guards, on the other hand, showed no sign of fatigue. They were relentless, attacking Ludwig from all sides with lightning-fast strikes. He struggled to keep up, barely managing to block their blows with his sword.
Ludwig's mind raced as he searched for a way out of this deadly situation. He needed to create some space between himself and the shadow guards, but they were too fast and too skilled. Suddenly, one of them landed a glancing blow on Ludwig's shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain.
Ludwig stumbled back against a tree, his vision blurring as he fought to stay conscious. His sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground. The shadow guards closed in for the kill, their swords raised high.
Ludwig tried to stand, but his legs gave out beneath him, and he fell to the ground, his body wracked with pain. The world spun around him, and he struggled to focus on anything as he fell into unconsciousness.