Convulsion

♔ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ꜰᴏᴜʀ ♔

Gwendolyn 

I slowly emerge from the river Richard was in, my hair soaking wet but my new outfit as dry as could be. After escaping from the Gloaming's collapsed base I left to gather the remaining members of the Gloaming. I brought them to our back-up fortifications. I organized and instructed everyone, making sure everything at our new hideout would be in order before I left. Once I finished I decided to change into this silky blue dress and black leather cloak. It helps me to blend in as the daylight fades away, the tall canopy above me blocking out the remaining light from the sky.

Stepping lightly in the shallow parts of the river, there are still heavy thoughts that weigh me down. Ghostclaw was not pronounced dead within the Gloaming. Nobody knows of his whereabouts, but that doesn't mean he's dead. If anything, it makes me know of a surety that he's alive. Which is why, as his top lieutenants, Miranda, Brittany, and I are filling in with other senior members. Well, we're supposed to be helping to fill in. Brittany hasn't been found yet. After the Guardians escaped, she supposedly went after them, vowing to Miranda and I that she would kill them. But by them, I think she really meant Steven.

Obviously, she didn't succeed. I received word from one of our spies that while Steven and Amaryllis are at the Health Center recovering, Lily is alive and still thriving with what she thinks is the Terra Firma Gem, Ethan and Brayden by her side. And somehow, Eric survived his deadly fall. So not only is Ghostclaw missing, but Brittany is too. What she's intending to do while she's away, I haven't the slightest idea. Which is why I had no choice but to leave Miranda in charge of the remaining Gloaming while I'm gone.

Technically I'm supposed to be next in line for command of the Gloaming, and I take that position whenever my father is away. I was heartily ready to accept command today, until we received additional word from our spy that Richard is on the run. And additionally, he has the map to the Inferno Gem. The last time we created an update about the Elemental Gems, it went like this: The locations of the Terra Firma Gem and the Wai Gem are unknown. The Zephyr Gem is within the possession of the Representatives of the Council, as well as the map to the Inferno Gem.

As of today, that has all changed. The Wai Gem's location is still unknown, but the Zephyr Gem was passed on to the Gloaming by our spy, unbeknownst to the Representatives of the Council. The Terra Firma Gem was being held by Lily Ward, also known as Lily Anderson on Earth. And, apparently, the map to the Inferno Gem is in the hands of Richard. Which is why I decided to go after him.

Following this river, I've learned that Richard's been coming this way for awhile, but he's trying to hide his tracks I suppose. I guess he never thought of the fact that traveling through the water meant that it would just be easier for me to find him. I pull the hood of my cloak up and over my head. Since the outside of the cloak is black, Richard won't be able to see me well in the midst of the night. I step out of the river where Richard's trail ends. Looking around I realize I'm standing in front of a dark forest. A dark forest that's eerily silent. In fact, as I travel through it, there's no noise at all besides my breathing.

I must be in Timberleaf Woods. 

In Timberleaf Woods, even if the sun is shining in the sky in the middle of the afternoon, it would be almost as dark as it is now. Being in these woods also means that there's almost absolutely no noise. In Timberleaf Woods there are no animals that scurry about, no wind weaving through the branches of the trees, nothing to make any noise at all. I step very carefully, trying to make sure that my tall black leather boots don't make a sound as I tread between the sticks and leaves littered on the ground.

I travel as quietly as I can for maybe another hour. I can be very silent when I want to. One reason Ghostclaw decided to call me Deathflow? I can sneak up on someone with a knife in my hand and they won't see me coming, even if they were listening for me. I could do it once. Twice. As many times as needed until nothing but death surrounds me. So much time has passed that the scenery around me is becoming darker, and it's becoming much harder to track Richard now. Finding signs that he even came this way is almost impossible now that it's deep into the evening, making the woods around me nearly pitch black as if it were midnight.