The forest was unnervingly still, the rustle of leaves and distant chirps replaced by an unnatural quiet. The faint trail wound through the underbrush, leading the group deeper into the wilderness. Garrick walked slightly ahead, his injured arm bound but his staff ready in his uninjured hand.
"Something's wrong," Kael murmured from behind Caden, her voice low and sharp. "The forest shouldn't be this quiet."
Caden glanced at Garrick, who had stopped abruptly. His gaze swept the trees, his body tense.
"They're here," Garrick said quietly.
The words had barely left his mouth when figures emerged from the shadows. At least a dozen Reclaimers stepped onto the trail, their dark armor gleaming faintly in the filtered sunlight.
"Well, well," the leader said, his voice smooth and menacing. "Looks like the fragment brought us right to you."
Kael's dagger was in her hand before he finished speaking, her stance low and ready. "Careful, Caden. These aren't like the rabble in the tunnels."
Caden's grip tightened on the shard in his pocket, its pulse quickening as though in response to the danger. "What do we do?"
"We fight," Garrick said, stepping forward. "Stay close, and don't get reckless."
The Reclaimers charged without warning, their movements precise and coordinated.
Kael was the first to engage, her dagger flashing as she parried a blade and drove her knee into her attacker's stomach. She spun with lethal grace, taking down another Reclaimer with a swift slash across the throat.
Garrick raised his staff, a surge of arcane energy erupting from its tip. A wave of force sent two Reclaimers sprawling, but the effort made him stagger, his injured arm hampering his movements.
Caden backed away as two Reclaimers rushed him, their weapons raised. The shard pulsed wildly in his hand, and he thrust it forward, releasing a burst of raw energy that sent one attacker flying into a tree. The other stumbled but pressed on, forcing Caden to dodge clumsily as the shard's energy began to wane.
"They're too coordinated," Kael shouted, slamming her blade into a third attacker's chest. "We won't hold them off for long!"
"I need time!" Garrick called, retreating behind Kael and Caden. "If I can cast a spell, I can take them all out."
"Time isn't exactly on our side!" Kael snapped, narrowly avoiding a blade aimed at her neck.
Caden gritted his teeth, his mind racing. The shard was still warm in his hand, its energy flickering like a dying flame. He remembered the shield he had first unlocked at the watchtower—the Shard Barrier—and knew it was his only option.
He stepped forward, gripping the shard tightly. Its energy surged, responding to his determination, and he focused on the image of a shield—strong and unyielding.
A glowing barrier erupted around him and Garrick, shimmering with raw power. The Reclaimers' weapons clashed against it, sending sparks flying as they tried to break through.
"Garrick, now!" Caden shouted, his arms trembling under the strain of holding the barrier.
Garrick closed his eyes, his lips moving in a rapid chant. The air grew heavy, the ground trembling as arcane energy gathered around him.
Outside the barrier, Kael continued to fight, her movements swift and deadly. But even she was beginning to slow, her breaths coming in short gasps as the Reclaimers pressed their advantage.
"Hurry it up!" Kael yelled, deflecting a blow with her dagger.
The light around Garrick intensified, the crackling energy reaching a crescendo. With a final, thunderous word, he unleashed the spell.
A massive wave of arcane energy burst outward, passing harmlessly through the barrier and slamming into the Reclaimers. The force of the blast sent them flying, their armor disintegrating under the sheer power. Trees groaned and splintered, the ground scorched where the magic passed.
When the light faded, the clearing was silent. The Reclaimers lay motionless, their bodies scattered like leaves.
Caden dropped the barrier, collapsing to his knees as the shard's energy ebbed. His vision swam, and his limbs felt like lead, but relief flooded him. They had survived.
Kael staggered back to the barrier's edge, blood staining her sleeves but her dagger still in hand. She looked at Garrick, who leaned heavily on his staff, his face pale and drawn.
"That was... effective," Kael said, her voice laced with exhaustion.
"But costly," Garrick replied, his voice weak. "We can't keep relying on spells like that—or the shard."
Caden nodded slowly, his hand still clutching the shard. Its faint pulse had quieted, but the memory of its power lingered. "Are we safe now?"
"For now," Kael said, scanning the treeline. "But Garrick's right. The Reclaimers won't stop, and they'll send more next time."
"Then we need to move," Garrick said, his tone firm despite his exhaustion. "The guildhall is our best chance to gather information and prepare for what's coming."
Caden pushed himself to his feet, his body screaming in protest. The weight of the shard pressed heavily on him, a reminder of the danger it brought.
As they resumed their journey, the clearing behind them was eerily silent, the aftermath of the battle etched into the scorched earth.
Caden's resolve hardened. The Reclaimers were relentless, but so was he.
Whatever lay ahead, he would face it.