-- A note about the episode: I got way too excited while making this episode, and as a result, it ended up being too long. I'll be splitting it into two parts. I hope you enjoy it! --
Chapter 10: Shadows of Aarakis
The sun hung heavy over Aarakis, casting long shadows across the bustling streets, as if the city itself were wearing a mask to hide its true face. My boots thudded softly on the cobblestone paths, each step echoing in the quiet spaces between the market stalls. The heat was almost unbearable, clinging to the skin like a wet blanket, but I kept moving, my eyes scanning the crowd. Every face, every whisper, felt like a puzzle I couldn't quite solve. It was suffocating, this city. The way it felt alive with secrets, as if it were breathing, shifting around me, hiding things beneath its golden surface.
Zeri walked ahead, her posture tense, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow. I could sense her impatience in the way she gripped her sword's hilt, knuckles white, a constant reminder of the threat that lingered just beneath the skin of this place. She didn't trust anyone here—neither did I. Not anymore.
Tarek's silence was louder than any words could be. He walked beside me, his head tilted slightly as if listening to something I couldn't hear. His eyes, usually calm, had a certain weight to them now, a heaviness that suggested his mind was far away—trapped in thoughts that I couldn't reach. I knew he was searching for answers, like the rest of us. But the city wasn't kind to those who sought too much. It kept its truths buried, just beneath the surface.
We had come here looking for answers—hoping to find some trace of the forces that had attacked us. But now, the longer I stayed, the less I trusted what I saw. Every face that passed by felt like a mask, every conversation a carefully constructed lie. It was as if the city itself had been swallowed by something darker, something that couldn't be seen, but could be felt in the very air we breathed.
I caught a glimpse of a figure in the crowd—an old man with a tattered cloak, his eyes shifting nervously. He didn't look like he belonged here, not in the usual sense of the word. He was different. And I knew—deep down, where the gnawing sense of unease festered—that he was connected to the danger that had been closing in on us.
"Do you think we'll find anything useful here?" Zeri's voice broke the stillness, sharp and cutting through the murmur of the market.
I glanced at her, unsure if she was speaking to me or to herself. "I don't know," I said, my voice low, careful. "But we can't afford to leave without trying."
We moved on, weaving through the crowd, my heart thumping louder than I cared to admit. The city was watching us. And I had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before we realized just how much.
The sun had begun to sink beneath the horizon, casting long shadows across the streets of Aarakis. I could feel the weight of the day settling in—frustration, uncertainty, and a gnawing sense that something was wrong. We had spent hours questioning everyone we could find. The guilds, the taverns, even the ancient library, each place offering nothing more than dead ends. People spoke in whispers, their eyes darting nervously at the mention of certain names, and when they did respond, it was with vague half-truths.
"I don't like this," Zeri muttered under her breath as we walked down the narrow, winding streets that led away from the city center. Her pace was quicker than the rest of ours, her frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. "It's like we're being pushed in circles."
"That's because we are," I replied, my voice quieter than usual. "We're asking the wrong questions. Or maybe we're asking the right ones in the wrong places."
Tarek nodded, but his eyes were distant, as though he was already thinking ten steps ahead. "The whole city feels... off. People know something, but no one's talking. Whatever we're looking for, it's not just being hidden. It's being guarded."
I gave a glance over my shoulder, just to make sure we weren't being followed, though the streets seemed mostly empty. There was no sense of immediate danger, but I couldn't shake the feeling that someone, or something, was watching us.
"Let's go back to the tavern," Zeri said, stopping and turning toward the path leading toward the edge of the city. "We've hit a dead end for today. We can plan our next move from there."
I glanced at the others, seeing the fatigue in their eyes. We had been pushing hard all day, but we had nothing to show for it. "Agreed," I said, trying to ignore the unsettling thought that had been lingering in the back of my mind all day. That something was coming. We just didn't know when or where.
The streets became quieter as we ventured further from the city center. The shops had closed for the night, and the only sounds were the occasional rustle of wind through the trees and the distant murmur of voices. We were heading toward the outer districts, away from the watchful eyes of the central market and guilds. I had hoped the silence would offer us some respite, but instead, it only seemed to heighten the sense of unease.
"Something's not right," Zeri said again, her voice lower this time. She stopped abruptly, her eyes scanning the shadows. "I feel like we're being followed."
I turned quickly, my hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of my sword. The tension in the air was palpable, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. There was no sound, no movement, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that we weren't alone.
"Stay alert," I muttered, tightening my grip on my blade. I could almost feel the presence of others, just out of sight, lurking in the dark. But still, there was nothing. No sign of movement.
We continued walking, the quiet of the streets pressing down on us. But as we turned a corner, the sound of footsteps echoed behind us, too soft to be normal, too deliberate to be ignored. My hand went to my sword again, and I motioned for the others to stop.
"Let's move quickly," I whispered. "There's no reason to make this easy for whoever's following us."
We quickened our pace, slipping into the winding alleyways that led us further out of the city. As we neared the outskirts, the streets became emptier, darker. The once bustling sounds of the city faded, replaced by the distant howl of the wind and the clink of armor as we moved forward. The city was behind us, and we were on the edge of the unknown.
And then, it happened.
A flash of movement in the corner of my eye. A figure stepped out from behind a building, cloaked and hooded. He moved silently, like a shadow come to life. My hand went to my sword instinctively, but before I could speak, another figure appeared from the darkness behind us.
"Get ready," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the beat of my own heart.
Tarek raised his hand, his fingers twitching as he muttered under his breath. "Arcanum Defensiva," he incanted, and a shimmering blue shield erupted around him, just in time to block a strike from one of the cloaked figures. His spell had worked, but the force of the blow left him staggering.
Zeri was already in motion, her sabre drawn in one smooth movement. "Stay close!" she shouted, her voice sharp as she lunged toward the attackers with deadly precision.
The clash of steel echoed through the alley, and I joined the fray, my sword crackling with Aetheris Ignis, the fire surrounding the blade lighting the darkness for brief moments. Each swing of my sword was met with resistance, but the attackers were relentless.
"Behind you!" Zeri yelled, but I was already turning, narrowly avoiding a dagger aimed for my back. These weren't random thugs. They were organized, trained.
Tarek cast another spell, his voice stronger this time. "Lux Lucis!" A burst of light erupted from his hands, blinding one of the attackers long enough for me to land a blow.
But there were more. Dozens, it seemed, slipping from the shadows like phantoms, each one attacking with deadly skill. The city had turned into a battlefield, and we were trapped in the middle of it.
I swung again, my movements fueled by desperation. "We need to get out of here!" I shouted, but the words barely left my mouth before another attack came, knocking me to the ground.
I could hear the attackers speaking, their words muffled beneath the clash of battle. "You should never have come to Aarakis…"
But I didn't have time to think about it. All I could focus on was the battle at hand. The night had turned against us, and we had no choice but to fight for our lives.
The sounds of battle blurred into a chaotic crescendo around us. I could hear the sharp clang of steel on steel, the grunt of exertion from the others, and the eerie hiss of a dagger cutting through the air. My breath came in ragged gasps, and I fought to clear the haze in my mind, focusing on the attackers that surrounded us.
Zeri, agile as ever, danced between strikes, her movements almost too fast to follow. Her sabre flashed in the dim light, slicing through the shadows with brutal precision. Yet even as she made quick work of one, two more appeared to take his place. They came at us from every angle, their faces hidden by dark hoods, and their weapons gleamed with a cold, calculated malice.
Tarek's defensive magic shimmered brightly, creating a barrier that protected us momentarily, but the attackers seemed to press on relentlessly, like an endless tide. I could see the strain on his face as he cast another spell. "Arcanum Ignis!" he bellowed, and a wave of fire erupted from his outstretched hand, sending two of our attackers stumbling back in pain, but only for a moment. They recovered quickly, their bodies seeming almost... unnatural in their speed.
I could feel the heat from the flames, but there was no time to breathe. I heard a soft thud behind me, and instinctively turned just as one of the cloaked figures lunged with a blade aimed straight for my throat.
"Lux Lucis!" Tarek shouted, his voice louder this time, and a flash of blinding light filled the alleyway, forcing the attackers to retreat for a split second. I seized the opportunity, spinning on my heel and thrusting my blade forward with a forceful roar. It pierced the chest of the attacker, sending him collapsing to the ground in a heap.
But my victory was short-lived. I felt a cold pressure on my neck, a shadow looming over me. Another assailant, a woman, stepped into the light just as I pulled my sword from the fallen figure. She was faster than I anticipated, and before I could react, she had raised a dagger, its tip glinting ominously in the fading light.
"Behind you!" Zeri's voice cut through the chaos just in time.
With no thought but survival, I twisted away, the dagger grazing the edge of my cloak. My heart raced, and for a brief moment, it felt as if the whole world had slowed. But there was no time for relief. We were trapped in a brutal, relentless assault. The ground beneath my feet felt unsteady, my movements sluggish from the exhausting battle.
Zeri, somehow, was everywhere at once. She darted to my side, her sabre flashing once again, narrowly missing the woman who had attacked me. "We need a plan!" Zeri shouted as she parried another blow. Her voice was urgent, but calm—she always knew how to keep her head in the worst of situations.
Tarek was still casting his defensive spells, but I could tell it was taking a toll on him. Sweat beaded on his forehead as his hands moved in quick, precise motions, incanting words I could barely hear in the chaos. "We're not going to win this unless we break their formation!" he shouted between breaths, his voice strained.
I nodded, gripping my sword tighter. "We need to push forward. There's an alley to the left. We make it there, we can regroup."
The plan was simple, but it was all we had. I gestured to the others, and we made a break for it. Zeri and I moved in unison, clearing a path as we sprinted toward the narrow opening between two buildings. But the moment we moved, the attackers closed in. It felt as though we were running through a maze of blades, every corner a new threat.
Tarek's voice rang out behind us. "Arcanum Protego!" A shield of light erupted, covering our backs as we reached the alleyway. The magical barrier shimmered with power, but it wouldn't last long. We had to move quickly.
We dashed into the alley, breathless and on edge. The space was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. My mind raced. We had to make it out of the city, but how? The sounds of pursuit grew louder, and the sense that we were being hunted, not just attacked, tightened around my chest.
"Where do we go now?" Zeri panted, her hand still gripping her sabre tightly. "This isn't just a random attack. They know we're here."
I paused, trying to catch my breath and think. "We find a way out. Fast."
Tarek, his face pale from exhaustion, spoke up again, his voice grim. "We're not safe here. We need to head to the southern gate. Get to the outskirts of the city and—"
Before he could finish, a loud crash echoed from the entrance of the alley. We turned just as the attackers emerged, their eyes glinting with malicious intent.
"You should have stayed in the shadows," one of them sneered. His voice was low and cold, like a blade being drawn.
Zeri's grip on her sabre tightened. "We're done running," she growled.
I couldn't agree more. The battle was far from over, and now, we had no choice but to face the storm head-on.