The Next Day…
Halcyon awoke before the sun had fully risen. The first thing she did was sit cross-legged on her bed, her eyes lids still heavy from exhaustion.
Across the hall, Asher was already awake for a while, he was inspecting the faint glowing bloodlink compass in his palm. His brows furrowed as he tapped the center, watching the pulse of light flicker weakened.
"Strange… The energy pulse should be stronger now that we're closer to the source," he muttered. His grip tightened, this had never happened before.
There was only one explanation. It was about to happen again.
He moved with sudden urgency, pulling on his boots and slinging his cloak over his shoulder. He hurried over, at Halcyon's door.
"Tap. Tap."
"Halcyon, are you ready to go?"
Inside, Halcyon's eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice. For a moment, she said nothing, her gaze lowered. She was ready to search for the relic, but her body wasn't fully healed.
"You go ahead, explore some more," she called out. "I'll meet you in an hour."
"Are y—" Asher hesitated, his head tilted confused. He thought this was the perfect moment to find the relic… especially now that they'd familiarized themselves with the swamp.
In that moment, the compass pulsed in his palm, and instinct told him to move.
"Alright," he said at last, backing away.
Inside her room, Halcyon exhaled deeply.
"Alright. Let's do this…" she murmured. "I just need my body to repair itself a little more before I head out."
She lifted her hands, then three glowing magic seals appeared in the air around her, floating in a triangular formation.
"From the heart of winter blooms the lotus of life." Her voice sent out a wave of unseen energy.
Her fingers moved, tracing sigils in the air, mimicking a flower sprouting open. Suddenly, cold mist flowed from her palms, and the air in the room dropped several degrees.
Moments later, a translucent lotus appeared, glowing with soft blue runes. It bloomed above her like a guardian spirit before slowly descending, its petals unfolding across her body.
The moment, the petals touched, her skin began to mend.
She didn't feel cold… but her organs did. Deep inside, old injuries pulsed, remnants from before she met back with Lucian, even before the third layer of Ebonhaven.
Frost began to form along her ribs, covering old internal lacerations, then dissolving as the tissue healed layer by layer.
I've pushed myself too hard... Again. That last attack… it could've killed me if I was alone. I can't afford to fall behind… not now. Not when the crown relic's so close.
Also this spell… one passed down through snow biome and ice-blooded dynasties… had once been guarded like treasure. Now, it was her lifeline, even for others, thought she never had to yet.
Taking a deep breath, a pulse of cold energy went out from hesling.
That when… a faint warmth returned to her core, steadying her.
"Almost there…"
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, the lotus shattered into air like glass.
Halcyon's body twisted instinctively as she jumped, twirled herself out the window ahead, landing on a thick tree branch just outside… Her heart pounded, loudly blocking out all sound.
Someone just launched an attack on me...
Her eyes darted across the wooden rooftops and winding branches, she saw nothing. Normally, at this time of day, the inn was really lively with chatter, however, it was completely silent at the moment.
She extended her senses… and stopped. She had a sudden frown, her expression darkened.
A mysterious dark force, was suppressing her perception. She couldn't sense anyone, not even those she knew were nearby.
Without hesitation, she leapt to another rooftop.
"Clink!"
Suddenly, somethint small black whipped toward her from the side… aimed directly at her legs. She twisted midair, barely avoiding it, landing in a crouched onto a log.
"Not bad. Despite being weakened, your reaction are still fast." a voice amusingly called out.
From the shadows, a figure stepped into view, wrapping a chain around him arm.
He wore a uniform clearly designed to intimidate, a armor forged from dark steel and layered leather, trimmed in grey. A long cloak… deep luminescence grey with a silver trim… that flowed behind him, his helmet resembled a snarling beast, the visor covering his eyes.
Finally, a symbol of a chained sun stitched boldly across his back.
Two more figures emerged behind him, wearing similar gear but with less ornate detailing, like a black trim.
The silver trim smirked at Halcyon, who had already begun backing away, his eyes narrowed at her.
"Percival. Brianus stay here and wait for the other one… Asher," The Silver trim ordered. "This is the perfect chance to capture her and return to the commander for judgment."
The moment those words were spoken, Halcyon's gut twisted. She knew the them shadows, from their trims but she was confused.
One of them muttered. "Young Master, these two have entered the Black Swamp. It's against the rules. If the Master find out…"
The silver trim man eyesnarrowed at Halcyon and replied coldly. "If the Heathage Empire inquires, just tell the truth… Halcyon brought an outsider to kill one of our own prodigies. How could I possibly let them walk free?"
With a sweep of his sleeve, he leapt into the air, chasing Halcyon, his eyes had a predator glint.
The two old men watched the their young master leave, before vanishing into the mist like phantoms.
Halcyon pushed herself to the limit, drawing on every ounce of strength she had left. He was very fast for, what she could tell energy was weaker than her, he just had a stronger body.
She then waved her hand forward, conjuring frost lilies into the air ahead, leaping onto them, beneath her feet it bloomed into platforms, propelling her forward in speed burst.
As she reached the edge of the swamp, shadows a couple beasts appeared, roaring from ahead.
"Heathage Empire enforces a restriction on magic in this area! Stop!"
It wasn't the swamp beasts, it was the Heathage Empire fiends, that they began chasing after he now.
However, she didn't stop.
Without hesitation, more frost lilies burst forth beneath her feet. There was no time to explain.
"Why are hunters after me?" she muttered through gritted teeth. "I've never even had serious dealings with them… Enought to cuase them to hunt me."
Her breath burn through her lungs, as she sprinted through the mist covered swamp. Behind her, shouting erupted again.
"Thwip!"
Suddenly, a arrow hissed through the air, her eyes traced it as it brushed past her cheek.
She ducked, veering left as another arrow split a tree trunk just behind her. A figure lunged from the right with a dagger. She twisted, kicking off a tree trunk, and flipped over them, landing without breaking stride.
"Hurry. Don't let her play you! " Someone snarled.
She didn't even look back.
She focused on the, swamp canopy ahead, revealing the silhouette of an ancient, half-sunken building into the mud. Her eyes lit up.
She pushed harder, faster just by a couple feet ahead.
When a sudden ticking sound caught her ear… Her eyes snapped to the right…
It was a crude bomb that arched toward her.
"BOOM!"
The moment she dove through the ancient building broken window. The bomb explosion roared behind her, flinging muck, wood and debris into the air, at her.
She hit the ground rolling, sprang to her feet, immediately ran again. Her boots struck a sideways trunk… she sprinted along it like a bridge, twisting mid-air as another dagger embedded itself in the window frame behind her.
Inside, the building groaned under her steps, moss clinging to every inch, even skidding. No time, to fight back. They were still behind her, still coming and to many.
As she launched through the other window, other edge of the building. It exploded behind her as another bomb was thrown inside.
Landing outside, her heart pounding like war drums. Arrows flew… she slid beneath a branch, then under another.
I can't outrun them forever. The only way out is to find Asher… and fast.
From behind her, a voice called from a treetop.
"I want to see how long you can run!"
In that same moment, she realized that a shadow was covering her more than the trees did.
She looked up, as suddenly a 10-foot black chain hovered above her like a serpent, read to strike.
She instantly dropped to one knee, slamming her palm onto the swampy ground… A pulse of Ice Magic surged out as she sweep her hand up, freezing the water into a narrow glacial path.
She threw herself low gaining momentum, skating across the slick trail, twisting and weaving through the swamp.
From the ice path, she twisted her body causing her to cleanly slid around a massive tree trunk as a barrage of blades clattered into the trees behind her.
Deeper into the swamp she slid… too deep for the guards to follow.
The Heathage wardens slowed and eventually stopped. The territory ahead was dangerous, forbidden. But the hunters… They did not stop.