CHAPTER 58They stepped forward together, and as they did, the stone plaque illuminated, revealing the first riddle carved into its surface."I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"The emperor’s mind raced. The answer was just beyond his reach, like a word on the tip of his tongue, but it wasn’t coming to him. He glanced at the general, whose gaze was fixed on the inscription, as his fingers tapped against his chin.“I know this one,” he said, his voice steady. “It’s an *echo*. It speaks without a mouth and hears without ears because it reflects sound. And it comes alive when the wind carries the sound to bounce off surfaces. Just like the waterfall echoes around this cave.”The emperor nodded, impressed by his swift deduction. The general recalled the words that eluded. “Echo. That’s the answer.”The general stepped forward, placing his hand on the plaque. The stone sh
CHAPTER 59Cave of the Gods: Cryptic Symbols.The heavy air inside the cave seemed to press down on Cayla and her group as they ventured deeper into the cavern. They had just finished with the riddles, and a path opened for them. They were curious about what the cave had in store for them. They had only survived the first round.Their footsteps echoed in the silent hallway as they avoided the stalagmites protruding from below the cave. Their steps were the only sound from the water dripping in soft puddles from the stalactites above. Their torches flickered against the cold stone walls, casting long shadows around them that seemed to stretch and move with life. The cave was vast, its chambers filled with various wonders and dangers. It was clear to Cayla that this place had been untouched for millennia, and they wondered how it looked when the gods were in this plane. The statues seemed ancient, each crack and crevice on the stone walls telling a story from a time past. But it wasn’
In ancient times, various creatures roamed the earth. They were called supernatural beings with abilities that were way beyond the understanding of mere mortals.The inception of their creation was to contend with the otherworldly beasts that greatly oppressed humankind; they were literal bloodsuckers; it was an era subjugated by chaos and mayhem.The battles lasted decades before the Versipellis fully immobilized the Vrykolakas. In modern folklore, the Versipellis were the shapeshifters, otherwise known as werewolves, and the Vrykolakas were the bloodsuckers, now known as vampires.Their long, hard battle that eventually ended in victory did not come without a cost. The Versipellis lost their Luna. The backbone of not only the Monarch but also his people, it was a bittersweet moment when she sacrificed herself for their victory.It was a victory that was never celebrated, for the loss of one's mate is like the loss of oneself, a feeling of loss, utter loneliness, and despair, the abs
In the conference room, Ophelia had been anxiously waiting with everyone in the pack. Her mom, the pack Luna, had ordered the wolves to meet at the conference room as her father, Alpha Ryan, had an important announcement that would impact the pack's well-being.The pack gathered and waited for Ryan to arrive and make his announcement. There was a buzz as the wolves were busy trying to speculate about what the information he had in store for them would be.She was unnerved. She could feel something was wrong but couldn't quite place her finger on it. She swung her legs nervously and looked around with so much unease. She had been quite angsty lately.Ophelia looked in the distance with worry-filled eyes. These attacks had changed everything. They had a happy life, and the attack waves abruptly destroyed the flow of their once vibrant and happy community.Silence fell in the room as Ryan walked in with his Luna beside him. He glanced around the hall, which they mostly used to host large
The waning gibbous hung a little too low in the sky, with its silver light cast through the covering of the trees. As an Alpha werewolf, Ryan could feel the power flowing through his body, the adrenaline throbbing in his veins.The air was thick. With each step he took toward the battle line and the crush of each branch and twig beneath his paws, he was like a different being.His eyes, sharpened by wolf senses, caught the details provided by the moonlit sky and the long illuminated shadows of the large trees around them. He could hear the sudden rustling of leaves and snagging of branches.The echo of sounds disrupted the stillness that once enveloped the forest. This couldn't allow Ryan to revel in the feeling his beast form gave him. Something lurked beyond the reaches of his senses, and his instincts heightened and screamed danger.The smell of blood permeated the air, he could feel his connection to his people waning, and the fear in the air could be tasted.# The tension tightene
Gasps of shock could be heard around the battlefield as realization washed over them like a chilling bucket of water. This was the reason they had lost many men. They were dealing with demons, and they were halfbreeds. How could such creatures even exist???So many questions were up in their minds, but there was no time to dwell on those thoughts. A moment of distraction at this juncture would cost them their lives.The tides of battle that were once in favor of the wolves started to turn, the transformation tipping the scales in favor of the half-breeds.After their transformation, the half-breeds didn't hesitate to let out a loud deafening howl, a signal the wolves didn't have to wait long to find out what the howl meant as each wolf was surrounded by three to one. They were prepared; they came in fully ready to raze this pack to the ground. Alpha Ryan was surrounded by ten to one but still managed to hold his ground, a testament that his ability to make his pack the strongest in t
Agitated and out of control, Agatha, one of the women in the bonkers, was resolute and unswerving to join the battle; she felt the telepathic connection with her mate break; her mate was dead. She wouldn't sit by idly and hope that the people that took his life would pay; she was going to ensure she made them pay herself, consequences be damned. She had always been willful and headstrong. She was also one of the pack warriors, and sitting the battle out made her uncomfortable. But she knew the women would need protection if things on the field went south. Losing her mate made her throw caution to the wind; Avery's words didn't register to her. In a different circumstance, she would listen to her Luna, but overwhelmed by grief, there was no room for reasoning. The other women who had lost their mates agreed with Agatha. They had lost their soulmate and did not feel like they had anything left to live for. They were heading out. As if playing a cruel joke on them, the doors to th
The man wasn't in a hurry to kill Ryan; watching the boy fight gave him a strange feeling of satisfaction. He was an impressive fighter, and it brought back memories of his younger days sparring with Ryan's dad. They fought similarly, but that was not at all surprising. Ryan was trained by his father from a very young age. Looking ahead, he saw Avery and smiled menacingly. Her mate didn't neglect training her. It was such a pity that she was just an ordinary wolf. She wouldn't last long. After some time, he grew bored watching the battle and decided to end things quickly. He was a busy man with things to do and places to be. With that thought in mind, he strolled leisurely with his hands in his pocket, humming his tune while approaching Avery. He was going to kill her first before killing Ryan. The rest of the pack would be cannon fodder. *** More chunks of flesh had been removed from Ryan's body, and he was literally moving about with loose skin hanging around his bones, whic
CHAPTER 59Cave of the Gods: Cryptic Symbols.The heavy air inside the cave seemed to press down on Cayla and her group as they ventured deeper into the cavern. They had just finished with the riddles, and a path opened for them. They were curious about what the cave had in store for them. They had only survived the first round.Their footsteps echoed in the silent hallway as they avoided the stalagmites protruding from below the cave. Their steps were the only sound from the water dripping in soft puddles from the stalactites above. Their torches flickered against the cold stone walls, casting long shadows around them that seemed to stretch and move with life. The cave was vast, its chambers filled with various wonders and dangers. It was clear to Cayla that this place had been untouched for millennia, and they wondered how it looked when the gods were in this plane. The statues seemed ancient, each crack and crevice on the stone walls telling a story from a time past. But it wasn’
CHAPTER 58They stepped forward together, and as they did, the stone plaque illuminated, revealing the first riddle carved into its surface."I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"The emperor’s mind raced. The answer was just beyond his reach, like a word on the tip of his tongue, but it wasn’t coming to him. He glanced at the general, whose gaze was fixed on the inscription, as his fingers tapped against his chin.“I know this one,” he said, his voice steady. “It’s an *echo*. It speaks without a mouth and hears without ears because it reflects sound. And it comes alive when the wind carries the sound to bounce off surfaces. Just like the waterfall echoes around this cave.”The emperor nodded, impressed by his swift deduction. The general recalled the words that eluded. “Echo. That’s the answer.”The general stepped forward, placing his hand on the plaque. The stone sh
CHAPTER 57THE CAVE OF GODS: RIDDLE OF PASSAGE The entrance to the Cave of the Gods loomed before the emperor and his group. The air had grown heavy with the scent of damp earth and ancient stone. Ahead was a distant echo of dripping water, a waterfall maybe, that was reverberating through the dark cavern. That should be the location of the herb they came searching for.The cave’s jagged mouth appeared like the gaping mouth of an ancient creature or extinct beast. It was too big to be a creature they knew. But that was to be expected. It was the cave of the gods. The cave entrance did not look like it had been a natural formation etched into the mountainside. However, it seemed like it had been molded and half-hidden by thick vines and moss. But over time, it molded perfectly with the scenery.They would call it beautiful if it did not threateningly loom over them. There was an edgy feeling. Beyond the mouth of the cave lay something eerie and dangerous. No one knew what awaited them
CHAPTER 56The moon gently bathed the warriors in its ethereal glow as they emerged from the desert and appeared above the foot of the mountain. It’s gentle light cascading down the canopy of trees.The warriors released ragged breaths they did not realize they were holding. The last few days had been tough, but now, they were tired and weary. They looked around them to confirm if they made it across that treacherous desert. Their armor was battered and worn. They were gaunt and weary from the horrors they had endured, their faces marked by the scars of the horrendous battle they had fought. Their numb arms felt the weight of their weapons. They had endured so much, and yet somehow, they survived.Was this real? Or was this the desert playing tricks on them? Were they really out of the woods, or was this another torture conjured by the gods?They looked around and panicked. There was a hint of fear and trepidation in their expressions. It was safe to say they had been mortified, and
CHAPTER 55 They had finally made it to the caves. The rest of the warriors, whose flesh was turning to sand, gradually became normal. Being on the sand was turning them into sandmen. The weight of the revelation was heavy and unsettling. How could they escape? It was no wonder the leader of the sandman said they would not leave without a toll. Now that their numbers had further reduced, they did not know what would happen next. The apprehension weighed deeply in their chest. Did they want to know what lay further out there? Cayla had expended a lot of energy and needed the reprieve. She found a corner at the corner of the cave and lay down to rest. The silence was hanging in the air as the remaining survivors replayed the day's happenings. Cayla curled up against the cold, damp stone wall of the cave. Trying to quiet her breath for an unknown period. The echoes of the desert battle still rang in her ears, the roar of the sandstorms, the shrill cries of the dying warriors, the
CHAPTER 54 “Dammit!” The general cursed, backing away. It was futile. They couldn’t kill them, not in the traditional sense. Every time they struck one down, more emerged, sprouting from the ground beneath them. “Get ready!” He shouted as another wave of Sand Men surged forward. He swung his sword in a wide arc, slicing through the air with all the force he could muster. The blade cut through the sand, but it was like slicing through smoke. The creature collapsed into a mass of shifting grains, only to reassemble again, a new form rising from the dust. “Form up! Protect the king!” The second in command bellowed, his voice steady despite the chaos. His eyes were sharp, his old instincts kicking in. He had seen wars before, but never anything like this. The warriors pressed forward, their shields locked together, their spears aimed outward. They fought not to kill the sandmen but to keep them at bay. Each Sand Man that reappeared was a reminder of the desert’s ruthless power, its ab
CHAPTER 53But there was still a lingering question in their minds. Did they win? Was it a mirage? Or a hallucination? They did not have to wait for long before the answer became apparent. Their relief was short-lived as the tension returned to their weary bodies.By now, it felt like the gods were playing tricks on them. No, they were using them for entertainment purposes. The gods were peering down at them from their celestial plane and having a good laugh. Was it weird that they were getting chased by sand? Yes, it was. Was that the worst thing they witnessed? No. Was it the swarming sand locust that multiplied whenever they killed them that made them think so? No, it wasn’t. It was not even the two massive colossus creatures they conquered. The craziest thing that had happened was that their numbers had reduced, and they were not getting killed. No, they were not even getting captured. However, what they witnessed would give them nightmares. They had seen some of their comrades
CHAPTER 52The air became thick with anticipation and tension as the warriors were now surrounded by new enemies, rising from the sands at every turn. The heat, the madness of the desert, and the ferocity of their pursuers all seemed to converge, each moment stretching into an eternity of desperate survival.And so, the real battle began.The air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of sweat as the battle raged across the desert. Their boots sank into the dry, powdery sand. It was a quagmire of churned earth as the two forces collided with violent fury. On one side stood the warriors—battle-hardened men and a woman, their swords, shields, and axes gleaming in the sunlight. They formed a circle, shields interlocked, with their weapons raised and eyes steely with resolve.Opposing them was a horde of monstrous sandmen. They had twisted, hunched figures with gleaming eyes and jagged limbs. They moved as one entity, a relentless tide of chaos, hungry for blood, and the warriors had no
CHAPTER 51They soon appeared on a vast land of nothingness. The desert stretched as far as their eyes could see. They were safe from the terrors of the beguiling forest, but who knew what horror the vast expanse of nothingness had in store for them? Their once large number of fifty warriors had reduced to twenty-five, and they had barely spent one day in the mountain of the gods. The stories of the mountain and what they were experiencing were vastly different. The difference was like heaven and earth. The only place the people who had explored before complained about was the cave of no return. Yet, they had somehow been in perilous situations as soon as they began their journey. The sun beat down relentlessly on the warriors, its merciless rays stretching across the endless sea of sand that had replaced the beguiling forest they had barely escaped. The once dark and foreboding woods had given way to an oppressive, barren desert where the air shimmered with heat, and the horizon se