The Shadowed Vale wasn't the kind of place anyone ventured into lightly. It wasn't a scenic detour or a destination for thrill-seekers—it was a treacherous, enigmatic expanse teeming with creatures straight out of nightmares. Monsters that defied logic and thrived in the dense mana that saturated the air. Stories of adventurers who entered the Vale and never returned were too numerous to ignore.
At least they weren't in some ostentatious royal carriage that screamed "attack me." Their transport was a modest, reinforced wagon, its exterior plain and unremarkable, designed to blend in with common travelers. Evanna had even ensured they were cloaked in a powerful spell to conceal their mana signatures, reducing the likelihood of attracting unwanted attention from the creatures—or worse, bandits—that roamed the region.
Raven leaned against the side of the wagon, her mismatched eyes scanning the tree-lined path ahead. The air had grown noticeably cooler as they neared the Vale's outskirts, a subtle but persistent chill that seemed to seep into her bones. She pulled her cloak tighter around her, her breath visible in the crisp air.
"It's getting a bit chilly," Raven muttered, glancing toward the front where Celia and the coachman guided the wagon.
Celia, who was seated with her longsword resting across her lap, spared her a glance over her shoulder. "The Shadowed Vale has always had an unnatural coldness to it. The mana density in the area tends to disrupt the natural climate. You'll get used to it… or you won't," she added with a faint smirk.
Raven rolled her eyes. "Comforting."
From inside the wagon, Evanna peeked out, her face partially obscured by her traveling cloak. "If the chill becomes unbearable, I can provide a warming spell. Though I've heard you're quite adept at enduring harsh conditions, Wraith," she said with a playful lilt.
"I'll manage," Raven replied curtly. She wasn't keen on drawing unnecessary attention, even through something as benign as a spell.
Mavis, in her diminutive dragon form, shifted lazily atop the wagon, her silver scales gleaming faintly in the dimming light. Her voice echoed in Raven's mind, amused as always. The princess seems rather chipper for someone heading into a potential deathtrap. You sure she's telling us everything?
Not for a second, Raven thought back, her gaze narrowing as she watched the darkening horizon. The trees were thinning, their once-vibrant leaves now dull and brittle, as if the very life had been drained from them. The telltale signs of the Vale's influence were becoming more pronounced.
Celia's voice cut through Raven's musings. "Stay alert. We're nearing the boundary. From here on, things will get… unpredictable."
Raven straightened, her hand instinctively brushing against the hilt of her katana strapped across her back. "Unpredictable how?"
"The creatures in the Vale don't follow normal patterns," Celia explained. "They don't just attack for food or territory—they're drawn to mana, and they attack relentlessly, even when it doesn't benefit them. The concealment spell will help, but if something does find us…" She let the warning hang in the air.
"Then we fight," Raven finished, her tone steady.
Evanna's voice came from behind them, calm yet resolute. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. But if it does, I trust both of you to handle it."
Raven exchanged a glance with Celia, the tension in the air palpable. This wasn't just a simple escort mission, and they all knew it. As the wagon creaked forward into the foreboding shadow of the Vale, Raven's instincts sharpened.
A faint, almost imperceptible disturbance in the mana around them tugged at her senses. Something was following them—not close enough to pose an immediate threat, but close enough to be concerning.
She straightened, her hand brushing the hilt of her katana. "I'll be right back," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Evanna leaned out of the wagon, her azure eyes narrowing with curiosity and concern. "And where exactly are you going?"
Raven didn't break stride as she retrieved her katana, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim light. "There's a pest that needs dealing with," she replied curtly.
Celia, seated at the front of the wagon, arched a brow as she watched Raven prepare to head off into the woods. "And here I thought this was supposed to be a straightforward escort mission," she said dryly. "I take it you're certain about this?"
"Positive," Raven said, her mismatched eyes briefly meeting Celia's. "It's better to handle it now than let it catch us off guard later."
Celia smirked faintly, though her tone carried a note of seriousness. "Fine. I'll stay here and keep an eye on the princess. Try not to take too long—we're on a schedule, after all."
Evanna's gaze lingered on Raven, her expression unreadable. "Be careful," she said finally, her voice softer but no less commanding.
Without another word, Raven stepped away from the wagon, her movements quiet and deliberate. The dense trees quickly swallowed her form as she slipped into the shadows, her katana held loosely at her side.
The forest was unnaturally quiet, the kind of silence that made every crack of a twig or rustle of leaves sound deafening. Raven moved with practiced ease, her steps silent as she followed the faint, almost imperceptible trail of mana that led her deeper into the woods.
Mavis, Raven thought, her voice sharp in her mind. What are we dealing with?
From her perch on Raven's shoulder, Mavis shifted slightly, her small, dragon-like form glowing faintly. It's hard to say. Whatever it is, it's skilled at concealing itself, but it's definitely not a regular beast. You're heading straight toward it, though. Almost there.
Raven's grip on her katana tightened as she slowed her pace. The air grew colder, the oppressive atmosphere of the Vale pressing down on her like a weight. Her mismatched eyes scanned the shadows ahead, her senses on high alert.
Then she saw it—a flicker of movement just beyond the edge of her vision. A low, guttural growl broke the silence, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes emerged from the darkness. The creature stepped into view, its form twisted and grotesque, as though it were a patchwork of nightmares given life. Its body was gaunt, its limbs unnaturally long, and its claws gleamed with a faint, sickly green light.
"A mana fiend," Raven muttered, her tone grim. She'd heard of these creatures—beasts that thrived in areas saturated with corrupted mana, drawn to any source of life or power they could devour.
The fiend let out a guttural snarl, its body coiling as it prepared to lunge. Raven shifted her stance, her katana gleaming faintly as she infused it with mana.
"Alright, then," she said under her breath, her mismatched eyes narrowing. "Let's see how you like this."
The creature lunged, claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. Raven moved like a shadow, her katana cutting through the fiend's strike with effortless grace. The clash sent a shockwave of energy rippling through the forest, and the fiend recoiled, snarling with renewed ferocity.
Mavis's voice echoed in her mind, tinged with amusement. "You've got its attention now. Better finish this before it calls for friends."
"That's the plan," Raven muttered, her movements a blur as she surged forward, her blade a streak of silver light in the gloom.
"That's the plan," Raven muttered, her movements a blur as she surged forward, her blade a streak of silver light slicing through the gloom.
Just as she closed in, the fiend's grotesque form began to shift. Its hunched, gnarled frame twisted unnaturally, its limbs cracking and elongating. The creature's bulky, clawed body reshaped itself, thinning and stretching until it resembled a towering humanoid figure. Its glowing yellow eyes dimmed, and its previously grotesque snout melted into a gaunt, human-like face, its mouth filled with jagged, too-perfect teeth.
Raven skidded to a halt, her katana poised. "The hell is this?" she muttered, her mismatched eyes narrowing.
The creature let out a guttural hiss, tilting its head unnaturally as though testing its new form. Its movements were jerky, inhuman, yet unsettlingly deliberate. The elongated arms now ended in clawed hands, one of which gripped a crude weapon formed from corrupted mana—a wicked blade that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.
Mavis's voice was sharp in Raven's mind. "It's not a shapeshifter—it's adapting to counter you. Be careful."
"Great," Raven muttered under her breath, her gaze never leaving the creature. "So now it thinks it's a swordsman?"
The creature lunged without warning, its blade swinging in a vicious arc. Raven parried the strike, sparks flying as her katana met the corrupted weapon. The force of the blow reverberated through her arms, and she pushed back, her feet digging into the ground.
It attacked again, this time faster, more precise. Raven twisted and ducked, narrowly avoiding a strike aimed at her shoulder. "Adapt all you want," she growled, "it won't save you."
She shifted her stance, mana surging through her as she activated [Phantom Blade Dance]. Her movements became a blur, afterimages flickering in the dim light as she struck from multiple angles. The creature staggered, its claws swiping at empty air as it struggled to track her.
It howled, its form convulsing again. Raven froze for a split second as its limbs contorted and thickened, its humanoid shape transforming into something more beastlike. Its legs bent backward like a predator's, and its arms grew massive, clawed hands that could easily crush stone.
"Again?" Raven hissed, leaping back just as a massive claw slammed into the ground where she'd been standing.
The creature let out a deafening roar, charging at her with terrifying speed. Raven dashed to the side, her eyes scanning for an opening.
Mavis's voice cut through her thoughts. "It's trying to overwhelm you with power. You'll need to end this before it shifts again."
"Yeah, I figured," Raven muttered. She took a deep breath, focusing her mana into her katana. The blade glowed faintly as she activated [Void Edge], its edge gleaming with destructive energy.
The creature lunged, but this time, Raven met it head-on. With a single, precise strike, she cut through its massive claw, the corrupted mana dissipating in a burst of black mist. The creature let out a guttural shriek, stumbling back as dark energy leaked from the severed limb.
Raven didn't give it a chance to recover. She surged forward, her blade flashing as she struck again, severing its other arm in a swift, decisive motion.
The creature collapsed to the ground, its form writhing and flickering as though struggling to maintain cohesion. Finally, with a final, earsplitting shriek, it dissolved into a pool of black mist that sank into the ground and disappeared.
Letting out a sigh, Raven straightened, her katana still at the ready. She scanned the surroundings, her senses on high alert.
Mavis's voice broke the tense silence. "That wasn't just some random fiend. It was tied to something—likely the Vale itself."
"Figured as much," Raven replied, sheathing her katana. She turned and began walking back toward the carriage. "Better let the princess and Celia know what we're up against."
But as she moved, the chilling sensation of being watched lingered, and Raven couldn't shake the feeling that the creature's defeat was only the beginning.