Keeper of the Lost Cities: War

Chapter 6

Stopping dead in his tracks- Tam Song could feel something. It was almost like a tickling sensation that traveled over his arms.

He held up his finger so Linh and Marella would be quiet so he could focus exactly where he was being alerted that someone was trying to break into the lost cities border.

Someone was messing with one of his shadow barriers.
Well more like someone was just running over them because they were undetectable by anyone other than a highly trained Shade.

By Linh's expression, Tam could tell she was concerned, so he shot her a look of dismissal, guessing it could be some sort of animal- which was a possibility depending on the creature.
And then took a step into the shadows he formed with a wave of his hand.

It was a mere couple seconds that Tam spent in the shadow realm, but it was long enough. It was like the world was identical to the one he just left— except void of life— and everything had a look of decay, covered in overgrown grey moss and sticky dark goop— much like slime.
And unlike the real world as well, Tam moved here as though time and space were warped to his own ability.
The only way he was able to access this realm at all was if he was able to keep a veil of shadowflux covering his body like a shell.

The deed left him drained— so he rarely ever used it— but given how close to his own house this alarm had been tripped, he figured it was important to check it out immediately— considering the fact that his house held a small portion of his developing improved defense reinforcement for the borders.

Tam grabbed the ground over the area that left an itching shiver over his skin, spreading the shadowflux from his shell into the ground, making him able to pass through the ground, and rolled into it, rising up in the real world.

He slipped behind a tree nearby, pulling his cloak's hood over his face, pulling his mask up over his face to hide his identity just in case this was an actual break in attempt. Given, his face was easily recognized because of his status, which was not something he liked in the slightest.

It made it more difficult for him to get necessary things done- because people often insisted he had some sort of bodyguard or something at all times- which he managed to wiggle his way out of doing numerous times- saying he could just go into the shadow realm to avoid trouble.

Tam spent so long next to the tree- blending with the shadows caused by the setting sun- that he was about to call it quits given the tingling sensation of the shadow alarms went away.

He momentarily concluded- upon spotting the silhouette of a figure suddenly emerging from the bushes- that the person had simply stopped moving.

Maybe the person was just being cautious- but Tam guessed that the person was highly likely someone from the neverseen- as this area was rarely patrolled physically- which probably made it an obvious target for them to attempt a break in- which is why Tam set up his shadow barriers there- among other places.

Not only that- but it seemed odd that there was only one person- so either they had already met up with an informant- or was meeting with one inside the lost cities- and often used this place as a break in.

While it was highly unlikely that it was used frequently for break ins given Tam tried to keep a twenty four seven hour watch around every weak part in the defenses- he still knew he slept and it could've been the case that he didn't sense anything because it was simply one person.

Tam watched the person for a couple minutes until they had creeped within a couple feet of where Tam now stood.

He couldn't wait any longer now- and jumped out of his hiding spot, tackling the figure to the ground.