Cloaked In Shadows

Taken

The scene before them was haunting. The docks, once bustling with activity, lay abandoned and in disarray. Boats, half-sunk and rotting, swayed with the gentle pull of the tide. But it was the ground that caught their attention—blood stained the wood , dark and dried, mixed with black, tar-like streaks that reeked of dark magic. The air was thick with the remnants of a battle.

Elysian's eyes scanned the scene with cold precision. "Whatever happened here wasn't quick," he said, his voice low, breaking the silence. "This was a fight."

Kaelan knelt, brushing his fingers over one of the black stains, his expression darkening. "This isn't just any magic. This is corruption—dark, twisted, and powerful. Whoever did this didn't just kill. They tainted the land."

Elysian's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scattered remnants of the battle. Broken weapons lay discarded on the ground, but there were no bodies—only blood and blackened marks that twisted and churned in unnatural patterns. It was as though whatever had happened here had consumed everything in its wake.

"We're too late to find the fighters," Elysian muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. "But Nymeria... she could've been part of this."

Kaelan stood, his gaze shifting toward the far end of the dock where a boat, barely afloat, was moored. "If she was here, this was no ordinary ambush. Whoever did this... they were using her as a target or a trap. They wanted to send a message."

Elysian gritted his teeth. "Then we follow the trail. Someone survived, or they left something behind." He moved cautiously through the wreckage, scanning the ground for any signs that could give them a lead—a clue to where Nymeria might be.

Kaelan's magic flared briefly in the air, sensing for anything lingering. "There's still a presence here, faint but strong enough to track. It's as if something or someone was pulled away by force. We need to find out who—there could be traces left further out."

They pushed deeper into the ruins of the dock, Kaelan's magic and Elysian's sharp instincts guiding them through the devastation. The weight of what they were dealing with settled heavily on their shoulders. Nymeria had been here—of that, Elysian was sure. But whatever had taken place was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.

"I'm not leaving until we get answers," Elysian muttered, eyes scanning every inch of the area.

Kaelan nodded, the grim determination shared between them. Whatever had happened here, they were prepared to face it, no matter how dark the path ahead became.

As they moved deeper into the wreckage, a sudden gleam caught Elysian's eye. He froze, staring at the debris scattered along the dock—a pile of broken, blackened metal. His heart sank as he crouched down, lifting a shattered piece of dark armor. It was unmistakable. The intricate designs and glowing blue accents... this was Nymeria's armor, torn apart and discarded like it had been ripped from her during the fight.

"She was here," Elysian whispered, his voice tight with emotion. His fingers traced the jagged edges of the armor, which had been violently shattered. A sense of dread settled in the pit of his stomach. He stood slowly, eyes scanning the ground around them. Her dual daggers lay not far off, scattered along the dock, their usually pristine blades bloodied and dirtied by the chaos of the battle.

Kaelan stepped forward, his eyes wide with disbelief as he took in the sight. His hand clenched tightly at his side, though his expression remained controlled. But then he saw something else—a small glimmer beneath a piece of splintered wood. Kneeling, he reached for it, his fingers brushing away the debris to reveal a necklace. The pendant, slightly tarnished but unmistakable, dangled from the chain. It was the one he had given her.

Kaelan's breath caught in his throat as he turned the pendant over in his hand. "Nym..." he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. He had given this to her as a safeguard, a way to track her in times of danger. The pendant was enchanted, meant to help him find her no matter how far she was.

He stood slowly, clutching the necklace in his fist, his face tight with emotion. "This was meant to protect her, to lead us to her if she was ever in trouble." His eyes darkened, and his voice grew colder. "But now... if it's here, that means they knew. They took her knowing exactly what this pendant could do."

Elysian's grip on his sword tightened, a wave of anger flooding through him. "They planned this," he said, voice hard and edged with fury. "They wanted us to find this, to find her armor like this. Whoever did this... they want us to know they have her."

Kaelan tucked the pendant into his cloak's inner pocket, feeling its faint magical pulse against his chest as he rose to his feet. It would lead them to Nymeria, but they needed more than just a trail—they needed to know who had orchestrated this ambush. Elysian bent down, retrieving Nymeria's daggers from the bloodstained dock. He turned them over in his hands, the weight of the familiar weapons grounding him as his mind raced.

Her armor, shattered and burned, was beyond repair. The state of it told them everything they needed to know: whoever took her had been powerful, precise. It wasn't just brute force; it was something darker, more calculated. And her informant—the one who'd brought her here—had to be part of it.

"They were waiting for her," Elysian muttered, securing her daggers at his side. "But her informant... it could have been anyone. We need to figure out who set her up."

Kaelan scanned the area again, eyes sharp. "If we find out which informant met her here, we might learn where they took her next. They won't have left a trail, not easily, but there has to be something—someone who knows more."

Elysian stood, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the destruction. "We follow the connections. Someone had to lure her here under false pretenses. Nymeria would've been too careful to walk into a trap this blatant without a reason."

Kaelan nodded, pacing as he thought through their options. "There are a few informants in this region she might have trusted. Some operate along the docks, others stay hidden, working through middlemen. We start by questioning the ones closest to this area. One of them knows more."

The dock was still and eerily quiet, as if the violence had swallowed all life from it. Kaelan and Elysian exchanged a glance, both knowing that whoever had set this trap was likely watching, waiting for their next move. Time was running out.

"Let's search the dock further," Elysian said, his voice steely. "There might be clues left behind. Something to lead us to her informant." His eyes flickered with determination as he moved deeper into the shadows, scanning the area for any signs that could point them in the right direction.

Kaelan followed closely, his mind already working through the possibilities. He knew the pendant's magic would eventually help them find Nymeria, but finding the traitor who had set this plan in motion was just as important. They couldn't afford to let them slip away.