Chronicles of Aetheria

ition with Rose. He scrambled to his feet, but the weight on him was

locs. The creature withdrew his foot from the boy's back and ki

king Rose up by the neck. He raised her

huh?" he asked, choking her

grip was too strong for someone of her size. Sud

e drew her closer to his face. Thei

led to say, and he burst in

all?' He thought. Suddenly, his eyes also shone blue, and

a punch that landed on the face of one of the Trol

ger, but before he could use it, he was sw

oung man asked as Rose helped him up, still feeling pain in his b

nstead?" Rose retorted,

hand and tried to move, but two

or a response, he hurled a knife at the dude

never came. Reopening them, he saw the kn

to Rose, who looked serious, clearly the

controlled the knife into her hand and flu

his other eye, causing him to collapse to

y. The tree fell directly on them, but before it

eat save." Rose heav

rum with a confused look. He couldn't belie

replied, pulling out the t

before he could object. She started running as fast as she could while t

to an almost tangible blackness. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, and the silence was only broken by the occasional rustle of

but upon closer inspection, one could see crims

d crimson eyes, so where

part from the faint whisper of their cloaks brushing against the foliage. Their features were obsc

nfortunate enough to cross their path and binding them toge

captors. Bound together, they could do little more than shuffle awkwardly, their movements restricted by the c

a sword from his cloak and broke a prisoner free. The pr

k you," he cried o

his blood splashed on the faces of the ot

darkness, the Reapers watching their captives closely.

tied together with number eleven, thereb

umber eleven captive managed to set himsel

their eyes glowing brighter as they moved in pursuit of the escapee. Their movement

, their movements disturbingly quiet but for the occasional crack of a twig or the swish of their clo

iliarity, their glowing eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. Th

he were caught, it would be a death sentence. The forest seemed to conspire against him, branches cla

Hope surged within him, lending his tired limbs a burst of energy. Suddenly,

h a pair of crimson glowing eyes. Fear gripped him instantly, he didn't expect anothe

he felt himself being

his heart started pounding. He had been running from th

broke free from the e

prepared to tear him apart, but a blade cut t

in the shadows. Gnashing his teeth angrily, he

ll hard on the ground and

to a tree. The second Reaper launched a direct attack at Stonetrum, who countered it with

ing this, Stonetrum quickly turned. He recalled how the Elf compelled him to kill all o

in the air. Stonetrum suddenly paused halfway and within

hey surged forward, sea

is life depended on it. He looked back at

mpteenth time, and he struggled not to f

blue shining eyes. He recognized those eyes instantly. Without was

t are you doing out here?" he asked uneasily

directly at Vagnar, who had once been a capt

watching them, realizing they knew

wrapped around his mouth and nose. "Sleep!" a whispering voice

ose away. Immediately, a blade drove into his chest, an

s pierced into her blue ones. "Aargh!" a gasp escaped her lips as she recognized the creature. It wa

the Elves from which she hailed. She looked back to see her com

o do to her? Was he

at to do, she heard the voice of the

ing with us

contin