Sullen would be the way back into town. Thick woods seemed to close in on them, the shadows dancing out on their own volition. Cassidy picked up her pace, and he did too, driven by urgent need and eerie premonition.
They retreated to their quarters immediately, where the command center was already set up in their room. Many types of relics and scrolls lay all over the table. The shadow aura of the dark relics was dancing on the wall.
"We have to study everything we found," he said quite seriously. "The objects and the writings have to yield something worthwhile, somewhere.
Cassidy nodded, her eyes roaming across the scrolls. "I'll start translating the texts. We need to know what kind of rituals or powers are included in these.
Hours melted away as Cassidy and the man worked with great concentration: the scrolls were written in some very involved and ancient script that required extremely painstaking translation, while the artifacts were being carefully examined for any clues about their properties and uses.
As the night wore on, Cassidy had grown increasingly tired; she rose, however, pressed by the importance of their venture. The man himself was immovable in focus, his eyes squarely set on deciphering the symbols and inscriptions before them.
The adrenaline of about midnight finally made Cassidy find what she was looking for-a portion of the scroll speaking of a ritual concerning some dark artifact, the Shadow Crystal, which would heighten its powers and make it powerful for the Order.
"There it is," Cassidy exclaimed; the excitement was thick in her voice. "The Shadow Crystal focuses and magnifies dark energy. If the Order has it in use, that explains the strength of the dark forces we've encountered.
The man looked up from what he was doing. "Serious that is. Could we find that Shadow Crystal and break its force, it would make the Order's power weaken.
Cassidy just kept on reading and reading, with her eyes growing wide at every further mention of this and more. "There's mention of a counter-ritual, too, that negates its power-some specific ingredients and an exact succession are included.
The man described everything for the counter-ritual: "We have to gather those components and perform the ritual at the site where the Shadow Crystal is engaged. However, it will be a very dangerous work; it is also the best opportunity that we have to avoid this given order.
Now armed with this knowledge, Cassidy and the man set their plan in motion. There was literally no more time to waste since one had to find the Shadow Crystal and perform a counter-ritual; the evil influence of the Order got stronger with each passing day.
The next morning, they started making their rounds to prepare the materials they would need for the counter-ritual. They visited apothecaries and all manner of curiosity shops, putting discreet queries to them for the rare ingredients called out by the scrolls. They were led deeper into one unlikely venue after another.
No sooner had they started their search than a trail of cryptic clues seemed to reveal itself to guide them toward their goal. These were all scattered within the town, hidden in the most unplausible places, but patterns emerged which inched them closer in the right direction.
Later in the afternoon, they nearly picked up all that they needed. Only the most rarely found gemstone, named the Luminous Stone, remained; this one was intended to host some kind of purifying power inside. As the scrolls said, that valuable stone would not have a replacement in the functioning of the counter-ritual.
He knew a contact who dealt in rare gemstones, and with his help, he could get the elusive Luminous Stone. With all the components at hand, Cassidy was ready to go.
They trooped off again, back to the inn, and finished their preparations. Artifacts and scrolls went into their containers, and, for a last time, the ritual instructions were read over.
"We are ready," he said with not even a quiver within his voice. "We must perform the counter-ritual at the location of the Shadow Crystal. This indeed is a place of high security, and we must show lots of caution.
Cassidy nodded grimly. "We must consider every eventuality. The Order will be waiting upon every move we will make, and we cannot afford to slip up on even the most minute thing.
Then, as the sun began to set, they left for the site that all the different clues and scrolls indicated. Their going deep into the forest was one where the shadows would be even thicker and more impenetrable than ever.
Finally, they found themselves deep inside a clearing. The silence was rather unsettling, and in the air was a macabre sense of energy. In the middle of that clearing stood an imposing altar of stone, as ancient as the one they had seen earlier.
"This must be it," the man whispered, his voice barely audible. "We must be careful."
Silent in a precision of step, they closed in closer and closer upon the altar. The place was heavy with foliage, screening quite as much as it hindered any view of whatever lay beyond.
A run of ice-cold fear ran along Cassidy's spine as they approached the altar; the air was just thick with that dark energy, heavy, and she could feel it near-the Shadow Crystal.
"We're so close," Cassidy was saying in a strained voice. "We have to find that Shadow Crystal and perform the counter-ritual.
The man nodded, scanning the space with eyes that were hawk-like for any signs of where the artifact was. "Down to business. We need to hurry and yet tread accurately.
Presently, they started peering around, cautious glances at the altar and the place around it. Still, the Shadow Crystal was well-concealed, and Cassidy's sharp eyesight, along with the hints from the scrolls, set them in its real direction.
The Shadow Crystal had lain buried in that shadowed alcove, pulsating right on its surface with an evil energy. Cassidy and this man moved rapidly, placing components of the ritual in exacting detail. The darkness seemed to thicken around them-lived shadows twisting and writhing in protest at the disruption-as they launched into the counter-ritual. Cassidy gave all attention to the ritual alone as she moved through the set of actions laid out before her in the scrolls. This was all so draining, and the darkness fought back with such brutality, one that really tested their spirits. But still, Cassidy moved on, undeterred, the man behind her. With one last, emphatic move, this was accomplished. The dark energy encasing them began to dissipate-the smothering feeling giving place little by little. The Shadow Crystal lost its power, and a purifying light was cast into the area. Panting hard, Cassidy and the man around him took in the surroundings of what they had wrought. Clearing lay still now, rid of its captor in darkness. Yet Cassidy knew this was far from over. The Order of Shadows would not take kindly to their meddling, and the dangers before them were only now just beginning. As they went to head back into town, Cassidy was feeling a mix of relief and anticipation in her heart, as they had just taken a huge leap in the battle against the darkness-with so much more yet to be done. A hard and long road it would be, but Cassidy had never backtracked in a fight. But standing just as resolute against him was the Order of Shadows, well hidden but determined to stand between him and the world they sought to protect from their evil clutches.