***Halrix Vonn***
The sun above Avondale was pale and without warmth. Yet the man standing at the gate burned brighter.
His armor gleamed white steel layered with flowing gold trim, almost liquid in motion, even while still. The crest on his chest plate shimmered; a dragon's eye, and within it, an opal that pulsed faintly with light. It was a lie, but a necessary one.
Commander Halrix Vonn, Spear of the Crown, First Shield of the Realm, had arrived.
Behind him, twenty elite royal guards dismounted. Their armor was a bold contrast, gold plates with black trim, weapons ranging from hammers and glaives to twin blades and tower shields. But all stood behind him, silent.
His spear, Radiance, rested across his back, the runes along the haft glowing with restrained power.
The guards opened the gate, not needing to question his identity.
The town was in chaos, between the murder of the woman, the investigator, instructor, and two guards, he did not blame them.
The spirit of its people had been cracked, and he was only going to help crack it more.
He made his way to the guard tower, the tall building stuck out like a sore thumb. He ignored the whispers, stares, and occasional attempted salute from the other guards.
Inside, he found Captain Kareem, wrapped in bandages, arm in a sling, sitting behind a cracked desk that looked moments from collapse.
Kareem stood, "Commander Vonn," he saluted. His face was contorted in pain.
"At ease, captain." Kareem visibly relaxed.
"Sit," Vonn said. His voice carried no edge, but it offered no comfort either.
"Our asset, I have heard he is gone." His tone was tense. "I came to clarify this myself."
Kareem deflated, defeated. "Yes, it's true. He was taken against his will, and I couldn't stop his kidnapper."
Vonn clenched his fist, his eyes flared with golden light as his fist ignited, the gold radiated with holy power, he smashed down on the already damaged table, it shattered.
"Dammit," his voice fueled with rage. "How did you let this happen? Do you know what you have done?"
He grabbed Kareem by his collar, lifting him with ease, he brought him to eye level. "We are on the brink of war, our only alliance, the Akhmar Empire's prince is missing under our watch?" He lowered Kareem.
"You stop everything, and come with us, we are going to find Malric, and I will handle this kidnapper." He let go.
"Do you know where they went?"
"They mentioned the lowlands, but it's dangerous there, I don't know how long they will last." He said hesitantly.
"We leave first thing tomorrow, be ready."
***Tyson***
The arrow hovered inches from Tyson's face, a flickering strand of grey-white-black energy that pulsed like a heartbeat. It whispered softly, as if it knew him.
Ghost fire, it'll burn you from the inside and there is nothing you can do about it." She moved closer, the heatless fire kissing Tysons cheek.
Tyson did not breathe.
He got a good look at the hostile woman, her hair was ink-black and fell past her shoulders in a loose, windswept braid. Wild strands framed her face, unbothered, like she didn't care if the world saw her coming or not.
And then there were her eyes. An empty pale white, endless, and unwavering, and her pupils the shape of skulls, like souls trying to escape. She didn't just look at him; she sized up his soul.
She was tall, maybe a head above him, and her ears, long, pointed, and angled back, twitched slightly as she moved. Everything about her said danger, from the calm in her voice to the ghostly bow that shimmered in her hands like it was part of her.
"Who are you?" She asked again.
Her voice was sharp and measured. The kind that could cut without needing a blade.
"I'm… Tyson," he said, slowly raising both hands. "Just trying to survive. Got separated from my group."
She didn't lower the bow.
"Your essence pulses with rot and death…"
"You can sense my essence?" he asked, confused.
What was it with him and meeting dangerous women?
"You must have an interesting rune; most tribes down here would kill to get a look at it." A wicked smile formed on her. "Luckily they exiled me, so you don't have to worry about me."
She lowered her weapon slightly. "Why are you down here? It's dangerous and there's nothing good here."
"It's a long story; we are sort of on the run." He grimaced.
"I'll let you go under one condition; you take me with you." she demanded.
Tyson was thrown off by the proposal, she did not seem like the type to trust easily.
"I'm okay with that." He said.
She lowered her bow, and it disappeared, her eyes dimming. "Good, I'll lead the way, it shouldn't be hard to find them."
She walked toward the flickering Soulfire lamp that had shown a tunnel beneath it. "This way," she waved for him to follow.
"I'm Nyxari, but you can call me Nyx."
"I'm Tyson, just Tyson…" his words trailed off.
Stupid.
"Your scent's fresh. And you're loud. Your allies aren't far away."
They moved in silence.
Tyson stayed close behind Nyxari as she led him through the winding under-tunnels, her pace deliberate but silent. He noticed her steps never echoed. Where he scuffed gravel and scraped stone, she seemed to float over it. Even the shadows didn't dare touch her.
Her presence was unnerving, but somehow reassuring. She belonged to this place. He didn't.
"You don't talk much," Tyson said after a while, trying to shake off the silence.
Nyxari's voice came back cool and calm. "I speak when there's something worth saying."
"Well, that makes one of us," he muttered. A flicker of amusement passed over her features. Barely.
They came to a narrow section of the tunnel, the ceiling pressing low and the walls narrowing. The air was different here, more moist and heavier, laced with something pungent. Tyson slowed.
"You smell that?" he whispered.
Nyxari's hand went up.
"Don't move," she said sharply.
He froze.
Then came the sound. Skittering. Wet. Heavy.
Tyson turned toward the darkness just as something moved. Fast.
A long, skeletal shape burst from the tunnel wall, a burrow-worm, armor-plated and eyeless, its circular mouth lined with layers of black teeth. It hissed, lunged and ghostfire sang.
Nyxari was already moving. Her bow manifested mid-motion, drawn and glowing with a swirling, white-black flame. She loosed the first arrow. Then a second. Then a third.
Each bolt struck true. The worm screamed.
The final shot wasn't just a kill—it was punishment. Her bow bent unnaturally, crackling with shadows and light. When she released it, the arrow burned a hole through the creature's body, black smoke curling as its insides melted into the stone.
Tyson stared, wide-eyed. The worm's corpse twitched once. Then it went still.
She held the bow for a moment longer, then let it dissolve in her hand like ash caught in the wind.
"Fast," Tyson said.
"Sloppy," Nyxari replied. "It shouldn't have gotten that close."
"You're welcome, by the way," he muttered.
She arched an eyebrow. "For what? Giving it something else to chase while I killed it?"
He couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, fair."
She turned away, already walking again.
"Come on," she said. "The longer we wait, the more things crawl out to feed. And down here, there's always something hungrier."
Tyson glanced once more at the steaming corpse behind them.
He believed her.
The tunnels widened again.
Twisting halls gave way to an open cavern, sharply lit by soulfire lamps embedded into cracked stone walls. Tyson heard movement ahead. Familiar. Steady. Two voices, arguing.
"You are worthless," Oriana's voice came through. Before Malric could voice his response, Oriana was in front of Nyxari.
Tyson exhaled. "Oriana, this is Nyxari."
"Tyson?" Malric called, surprised. "you're alive?"
Nyxari summoned her bow.
Oriana's eyes narrowed instantly. Her entire stance shifted. Hostile.
"What are you doing with one of them?" Oriana asked not sparing a glance for Tyson.
Nyxari smiled lazily, her free hand getting ready to summon an arrow.
"One of them? I helped him find you." she replied evenly. "I could have killed him or just left him alone to die."
"Alright, let's put our weapons up and talk this out." Tyson said stepping between two of them.
Oriana's gaze didn't leave Nyxari. "If she so much as breathes wrong, I will drown her in her own blood."
Nyxari let her bow dissolve, "and I will put an arrow between those pretty eyes and roast my next meal on your burning skull."
Tyson sighed. "Great. So…. Everyone's getting along."
Malric smirked. "Like family."
Oriana sheathed her blades, but she kept her eye on Nyxari. "Make yourself useful and show us the way out."
Tyson fell into step beside Nyxari as they made their way through the never-ending tunnels.
"Your friends are fun," she said.
"I wouldn't call them my friends; we just got stuck together."
Before she could answer, a loud roar boomed through the tunnels.
"Shit, we have company."