Cloaked In Shadows

Little Wolf

Nymeria approached the abandoned docks, her eyes narrowed as she spotted the informant standing near the edge of the water. Every instinct screamed at her to turn back, but she was no stranger to danger, and she had long since learned to ignore her fear. Still, something about the eerie silence around the docks put her on edge.

As she neared the informant, she saw him shift nervously, glancing over his shoulder. The look in his eyes gave it away—this was no ordinary meeting. Her hand twitched toward her daggers, ready to spring into action.

The moment she stepped closer, Nymeria realized her mistake. She sensed the danger too late, but not too late to fight. Her eyes flicked toward the shadows just before Malakar emerged, followed closely by Ash, the once-great warrior and mentor to Elysian. The shock of seeing Ash allied with Malakar caused her to pause for a split second—just long enough for them to make their move.

As Nymeria stood her ground against Ash, she caught a glimpse of Malakar at the edge of her vision, his twisted smile only widening as his hands moved with calculated precision. Dark energy coiled around him like a serpent, pulsating with malevolence. With a flick of his wrist, a swarm of twisted creatures began to rise from the shadows, their grotesque forms crawling out from the cracks and crevices of the docks. They snarled and screeched, their distorted limbs pulling them toward Nymeria with unsettling speed.

Ash pressed his attack, his rage fueling every wild swing of his blade. Nymeria met him head-on, her daggers flashing as they clashed with his sword. The dock shook with every impact, but even as she fought off Ash's frenzied strikes, the growing number of twisted creatures began to close in.

Ash swung his sword in a heavy downward arc, but Nymeria slipped to the side just in time, using his momentum against him. In one swift movement, she drove one of her daggers upward, the blade slicing through his guard and raking across his face. Blood sprayed as Ash let out a deafening scream, his hand flying to his now-ruined right eye.

"You'll regret that, you demon whore!" Ash spat through the pain, clutching his bloodied face.

But Nymeria didn't let up, spinning away from him as the twisted creatures swarmed closer. Her breath came in sharp bursts, but she refused to let them overwhelm her. Her armor gleamed under the moonlight, but it was taking hit after hit, dents forming as claws scraped against the metal. She fought like a whirlwind, slashing through the creatures that came too close.

Malakar, watching from a distance, finally made his move. His dark magic surged, forming a black mass in his hands. With a sharp motion, he hurled the energy toward her. Nymeria barely had time to react. The wave of dark magic slammed into her, shattering her armor with a bone-rattling force. The pieces scattered across the dock, leaving her vulnerable.

The impact sent her stumbling, but she caught herself before falling, blood dripping from her wounds. Her body was battered, her strength waning, yet she remained defiant, eyes locked on Malakar.

"You think that'll stop me?" Nymeria growled, her voice raw with determination.

Malakar chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee. "I don't need to stop you, Nymeria. I just need you broken." His magic swirled around him again, preparing for another strike.

Nymeria's breath came in ragged gasps, her broken armor hanging off her body, but she refused to go down. She was Nymeria, a fighter to the end, and she wasn't about to let Malakar win. Gripping her daggers tightly, she charged forward, ready to face whatever was next.

As Nymeria closed the distance, her daggers gleaming in the moonlight, Ash staggered back, blood dripping from his ruined eye. His anger flared as he clutched his face, but even in his rage, he couldn't deny her skill. He had underestimated her once, and it had cost him dearly. Now, he knew better.

"Malakar!" Ash barked, his voice edged with both fury and desperation. "Don't underestimate her! Elysian trained her — she's lethal if you give her even a sliver of an opportunity." He squared his shoulders, blood soaking the side of his face, but his grip tightened on his sword.

Nymeria lunged again, her movements swift despite her broken armor. She was running on pure adrenaline now, her body pushed to its limits, yet she refused to stop. With each strike, Ash felt the weight of Elysian's training behind her every move. Every slash was precise, every dodge calculated. He was forced to go on the defensive, his single eye tracking her movements as best he could. But she was relentless.

Ash managed to parry her blows, barely keeping her at bay as the twisted creatures surrounded them, yet even they hesitated, sensing her ferocity. Ash, growing more desperate, feigned a retreat, and when Nymeria lunged forward, he used his larger frame to his advantage. He tackled her to the ground, his weight pinning her down.

She struggled beneath him, thrashing violently, her breath coming in gasps. Her dagger scraped against his side, drawing blood, but Ash grunted and held firm. He could feel her strength beneath him, her sheer will to keep fighting even as the odds stacked against her. She snarled, trying to wriggle free, her eyes burning with rage.

"Malakar! Now!" Ash shouted, tightening his grip on her arms as she bucked beneath him. "Knock her out before she gets loose!" There was genuine fear in his voice now, knowing full well that if he gave her even a second of freedom, she would make him pay for every second of this ambush.

Malakar's dark magic pulsed again, his cold smile never wavering as he approached the two. "Oh, Nymeria," he cooed mockingly. "You're making this far more difficult than it needs to be."

With a cruel flick of his wrist, Malakar sent another wave of dark magic surging toward her. This time, it was aimed directly at her mind, seeking to snuff out her consciousness. Nymeria's vision blurred as the magic slammed into her, her body convulsing as it seeped into her, but still she fought, her will trying to resist even as her strength waned.

Ash pressed down harder, feeling her struggle slow as Malakar's magic took hold. Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps, her body growing limp beneath Ash's weight.

"Finally," Malakar sneered, stepping closer, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Let's take her back. We have so much more work to do."