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Chapter 48: My Shadow’s Shadow
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 48.5: A Rose with Many Thorns
Twirling the liquid in her glass dispassionately, Chiri glanced around the crowded banquet hall. Exhausted by the tediousness of attending such events, she stood alone at one side of the room. A mild summer breeze entering the room through the open exit to the terrace, she was revived slightly by the cool air as it swept past her. Having just returned from an assignment merely a few hours earlier that day. Chiri had no opportunity to rest prior to donning formal attire. Covered in charred debris and baring a shallow cut, which ran the length of her outer thigh on one leg, Chiri still possessed a certain wariness about her demeanor that made her mildly unapproachable to most. Despite having bathed, she could still smell the ash left by her mercilessly scorched opponents clinging to her. Her third consecutive mission of the week, Chiri intended to take on another shortly after resting for a day. Completing successive missions after she was made a Guardian, Chiri had qu
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 49: Body and Mind
Finding Chiri on the terrace, Cazer removed his jacket. Seeing her slim frame shiver even from afar, Chiri seemed to have become oblivious to the cold as she remained caught in her lone ruminations.Coming to stand beside her silently, Cazer placed his jacket over her bare shoulders. Chiri’s skin turning cold from standing outside in the harsh winter air, Cazer replaced his hand on the crevice in her back. The dip fitting his palm naturally, Cazer felt the little space begin to warm gradually as he continued to rest his hand along its soft dip.Cazer was not in any way surprised that Chiri had chosen to remove herself from the crowded interior of the banquet hall at the first available instance. Although, Cazer would have preferred Chiri had been more attentive towards her decreasing body temperature. He would not criticize her for seeking some solace on the secluded terrace.Whilst, feeling the loss of her company more acutely than he had expected. Cazer
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 50: The High Road
His fingers clumsily fumbling at the top clasp of his jacket in the cold, Allen securely fastened it under his chin. Puffing some warm breaths of air into his hands, he rubbed them together rapidly. Then plunged both hands back down into the depths of his pockets to shield them from the relentless chill. The leaves of the now barren trees, crunching on the ground beneath them as they walked along the deserted trail. Regarding the forest around them cautiously, Allen placed a mindful distance between himself and the steep slope that ran adjacent to them. The rift opening up like a gaping mouth, its size made indeterminable by the canopy of the growth that rose up from its depths, Allen staring into it guardedly as they skimmed along its edge. This being his first assignment since he had been promoted to Hunter, excluding the cover he had used during his rescue mission at Vasmere Manor, they had not been deployed far from the Alliance headquarters. Only half a d
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 51: The Low Road
Withdrawing his pistol cautiously, Allen tried to make the squelching of his steps less audible as he progressed through the darkened trench. Not noticing until this moment just how devoid of sound the forest was. There were no hoots or the screeching of animals, nor was there any wind to rustle the branches or the chirping of insects present in the night. Even the long strides of his partner on the path above leaving him far behind, Allen felt completely alone in his mission now.This revelation only making the unexpected sound of a woman’s gentle sobbing all the more pronounced to him among the darkness. Progressing carefully, Allen drew closer to the cries. Brushing past the leaves of massive ferns growing in the pit and crunching over the discarded limbs that had fallen from the trees, he came to find a young woman. Near to his age, she sat on the floor of the forest. Covered in leaves and dirt, her dark hair disheveled, the woman grasped at her ankle in distress.
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 52: Like Smoke
Returning in the early hours of the morning, there were only a few wandering souls who witnessed Allen and Chiri walk through the doors of the Alliance. Allen still covered web, dirt, and leaves; he was not pleased despite their first mission passing without any major incident.His partner not even managing to uphold her promise to him for a single assignment, Allen felt foolish for believing that her nature would change so easily. However, he had hoped somewhat that Chiri might at least attempt to comply with his simple request of her. Still in a huff, Chiri sidled up next to him. Evidently refreshed after her reprieve from the Alliance Headquarters, there was an energy in her steps now as they made their way towards the Night Gate dorms.“I wasn’t going to let her eat you.” Chiri chuckled, nudging him jovially with her side in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension between them.“That’s not the poi
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 53: The Krane Family
There was a weighty silence that fell over the dining room of the Krane estate, as Chiri and Cazer Krane’s arrival was announced by the strained hinges of a broad wooden door. At its center, among the dark walls and morbid paintings, stretched a long table. Its black polished oak surface reflecting the resentment of the people who sat at it, the sentiment seemed to have been multiplied. Performing their roles nicely as the designated black sheep of the family, they had adding insult by arriving late to the Krane’s mandatory gathering. The slight obviously not lost on each member of Cazer’s vile family, they glared in their direction as her and Cazer merely greeted the distain with a curt bow. “Father.” Cazer said. Customary to greet the head of the family first, Cazer’s stiff acknowledgement of the middle-aged man at the head of the table, was only met with more displeasure. Atticus Krane’s lips pressing together until they became a thin line, he withh
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 53.5: An Unnecessary Existence
Deep within the underground cellar of the Krane estate, was a room. Darker than night or the deepest parts of the sea it was difficult to say whether the space within it was large or small. The color of its walls long forgotten, the room was filled with the whispers of cruel spirits and the malice of the most ruthless of demons. Mercilessly descending upon the small figure within, there was no shelter from their abuse. Locked in a ceaseless battle of wills, they chipped away at his young untarnished soul so that he might relinquish it over to them. Not sure of whether he had spent hours or days grappling for his soul in their relentless company. Cazer Krane’s tears had long since dried up. Curled on his side in the room, he held no futile illusions of someone coming to his rescue. The room being a place his family commonly referred to as ‘the pit’. Cazer had been subjected to this type of punishment countless times prior. However, he fel
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 54: Reaching Out for You
Throwing open the doors to their chambers, Cazer stomped into the room. Compelled by his hot temper, he yanked off his jacket. Throwing it onto the ground in agitation, Chiri observed his mood silently as she clicked the door shut behind her. Her back pressed to its cold handle, she leaned into it metal as if intending to guard against any intruders who might add to her husband’s vexation.The rest of the meal, passing without further incident thanks to Cazer’s intervention, it had at least been bearable. Nonetheless, his temperament had been gradually worsening since they excused themselves from the table shortly after dessert. The poise Cazer displayed during dinner now crumbling completely under the pressure of his rage. It was clear that his family’s disrespectful behavior and Rhett’s unwelcomed advances towards her had managed to agitate him.Unsettled at seeing him disturbed in this way, Chiri regarded him from
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Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 102: The New Moon Gate Guardians
The office filled with the serenity of the subtle white noise of each person’s solitary or otherwise mundane activities. It was the frustrated sigh which stood out amongst them as Chiri stared at the black and white squares of the board in front of her. The mild amusement that her opponent as he derived some enjoyment at her expense, evident by the sly smirk on his face. Chiri finally plucked her bishop from the board, her brow furrowing as she placed the piece in the last movement available to her, she slouched back onto the soft leather couch in resignation.Aware of her defeat without him having to state it, Cazer still smiled as he declared smugly, “Check mate.” Sulking as she sustained another loss, Chiri crossed her arms in front of her chest as she muttered back at him sourly, “I hate this game.” The smirk of confidence he possessed from beating her repeatedly at chess that morning, unrelenting as he continued to stare back at her. The expression would have irked her more had s
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 101: Battle for the Moon Gate
The smell, like death and decay condensed. It seemed to cling to the walls of the tunnels and hang in the air as repugnant as one might find a corpse which still swayed in its noose. The heinousness of the scent, only becoming more egregious as they continued further into the catacombs beneath the bustling streets of Ineset, Allen found that each breath he drew provoked a repulsed churning in his stomach.A rat, made fat by feasting on the bones of the deceased and the other hapless creatures that might live within them, brushing past his foot. Allen released a mild gasp, before recoiling back against the wall of the tunnel in disgust. Already traversing the morbid labyrinth for at least an hour now, he began to hope for any sign of the rogue mages’ hideout to be uncovered soon. Whilst acknowledging that their unlit corridors and seclusion were perfect for those who did not want to be found, Allen could not fathom how it was inhabited by any member of the living for long.Their route,
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 100.5: What Could Have Been
The small wooden frame of the bed moaning as someone shifted on its lumpy twin mattress, the noise prompted Chiri’s eyelids to flutter open slowly. Awoken from her deep sleep, she rolled onto her back to observe the person who sat on the edge of the bed they had shared. Her long hair tangled beneath her, she watched his broad back silently as he pulled on the few articles of the uniform that had been scattered about the floor during the night. Her gaze, apparently felt by him after a while, Allen Pierce turned. Greeting Chiri with an affectionate smile as she blinked the sleep away from her eyes, the skin around his blue gray irises crinkled from the extent of the contentment within this moment. The springs of the mattress displaced again as he leaned towards Chiri, Allen cupped her cheek tenderly in his hand to say gently, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” His thumb caressing her cheekbone lightly as he spoke, Chiri smiled back at him tiredly from the pillow. Her hand, rising
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 100: In the Absence of Virtue
Amidst the forgotten streets and the forlorn inhabited who were relegated to their drenched cobblestones, was a place that remained far removed from the eyes of the public. The location of the business, only known to the few who required specialized or otherwise illicit magic items, Allen was perplexed to once again discover himself at the threshold of Ekral Manstein’s shop. The dismal weather, causing the gray steps that led down off of the street to become slick beneath his feet. Allen descended them cautiously, before finally arriving at the door. Issuing a knock, he passed a long minute or two out in the persistent drizzle, before the little compartment on the door slid open. A pair of dark and tired eyes revealing themselves to him, they scrutinized Allen, whose hair and clothes had come to cling damply to him as they grumbled, “What brings you here?” A few drops of rain from the mantle of the door, falling to slide down the back of his neck, Allen shivered as he replied, “I need
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 99: The Night Gate Guardian
The final weeks of summer saturated by a persistent drizzle, it left gray pools on the footpath. Branching out into different avenues between the headstones, Cazer did not pause to consider the names etched on each nor did he become weighed down by solemn reflection as he progressed past them determinedly. The patent leather of his shoes, marred by the dirt of the cemetery as he entered into the more ancient part of the Alliance burial grounds that was shaded by the gnarled branches of a few mature trees. Cazer proceeded past the mossy and worn graves until he came to the one he sought.A sandstone mausoleum to one of the Alliance’s founders, Regus Sieg. The foreboding bars, clamped shut over the structure’s hollow opening, were only made more grim by the effects that time had over its once pristine stones and columns. Weathered and darkened by centuries of dreary days, such as this, Cazer mounted the few steps that led up to its gates. Placing a hand onto its cold metal, there was a
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 98: Meeting of the Secret Alliance
The room, silent, aside from someone tapping out an odd stunted interpretation of time with their fingers. Allen discovered himself in the company of an unusual assortment of friends and acquaintances he had never once expected to encounter. All there under the reasonable assumption of what joined them together, Tristan Hurst, Morose Akena, Horus Crouse, and Lance Armistice eyed each other awkwardly from their varying positions amidst the office. Unsure of whether to broach their purpose for being there or to feign normalcy by engaging in small talk as they awaited the final members of their group, Allen found that his foot too now drummed along to the peculiar rhythm set within the room. The anxious wiggling not ceasing, he contemplated the wisdom of joining these diverse characters together in their mission. Although operating seemingly well in their exasperating partnership, Cazer and Allen acknowledged that their plans to launch an more offensive strike on the Moon Gate mages wou
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 97: Sympathy for My Enemy
The rank smell of decay and mildew immediately enveloping her, Chiri knew that she had rejoined the dark catacombs where the cohorts of the Moon Gate’s malicious hoard gathered. Hissing as her form solidified again in the tunnel, Chiri again grasped at her side. Unsteady, the weight of her body found some stability as her back slumped onto the damp wall beside her. Expecting to be met with some snide remark in regard to her injury instantly upon her arrival, Chiri was to discover instead that her entrance had hardly been noticed amidst the affairs that had preceded her. Voices heard in the large junction between the tunnels, Chiri turned her head lazily in their direction. Leaning wearily against the dark tunnel, her eyes pinched together mildly as she squinted at the figures in the opening. Most of them the usual suspects that collected around Ryker Crouse, there was one amongst them that was only vaguely familiar to her. The woman’s hair matted and clothes dirty and torn from the t
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 96: The Wrong and the Righteous
Hurried steps and panicked voices arising from outside the Dawn Gate, the source of their alarm was indeterminate from what corner of the empty ward Chiri occupied. Disinterested by the distant sounds of their mingled unease faded into a buzz of unrest as she closed her eyes against the persistent pain which plagued her. Clutching the saturated fabric more closely to the gouge at her side, Chiri grimaced as blood oozed out from between her fingers and onto the pestine floor beneath her. The wound, not having cut deep enough to touch any vital arteries or organs. It only posed the immediate threat of blood loss as she remained a solitary entity amongst the empty cots of the infirmary. The injury’s presence, no less vexing in the least, this was to be the reward Chiri enjoyed from another one of Ryker’s misguided assignments. Reclining against the wall slowly, she hissed an embittered curse through gritted teeth, “Sodded slug suckers!” Fortunate enough to find that no one else should b
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 95: The Breakaway
“Those damn toothy bastards can burn in Hell for all of eternity!” Cazer roared, the doors slamming shut behind him in order to punctuate the vehemence of this outburst. They were then battered again as he landed a ferocious kick onto the barrier of the office. The eruption of his fury causing the solid doors to shake, Cazer barely regarded the man who sat observing the dramatic display from his position on the couch.Allen’s eyes following him warily as he stormed into the room, Cazer found the silent pressure of his judgemental stare of little consequence as he marched over to his desk. Breathing agitated and his hair disorderly, he jerked open a drawer on the bureau. Withdrawing a half-full decanter and wiping the rim of a glass on the desk that had previously been used for water, Cazer poured himself a sizable portion of the spirit. Not offering any to the Hunter, he waited for Cazer to down the drink before asking, “No luck, I take it?” In too foul a temper to accept the smugness
