[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 127 - 26: The Stirring Shadows [6]

Chapter 127: Chapter 26: The Stirring Shadows [6]

The three of them just stood there, staring at each other, as if waiting for one of them to make a decision. Leon seemed a little frightened, while Luke’s expression was scrunched up in thought.

An unsettling sensation prickled the back of Ardyn’s neck and made the hairs on his arms stand up. Every single fiber in his body was screaming at him to run, but the two people in front of him didn’t seem to have the same kind of panic that was boiling inside of him right now.

Then Luke suddenly placed a hand over his own chest, his fingers illuminated by a faint blue glow. His features were set in a grim realization.

"We need to go and check it out," he decided. "It’s only when we see the danger for ourselves that we can make a better decision. Once we have surveyed the area, that’s when we escape furtively."

Leon instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword. He seemed both wary and undecided.

"Are you serious?" Ardyn was on the verge of shouting. He couldn’t believe his ears. "What if we go over and check, and then we get killed right on the spot? Haven’t you guys ever watched horror movies before? The side characters who check for the danger always get killed!"

"What?" Leon looked confused. "What are horror movies?"

Ardyn groaned. Right, he was in a different era. Of course he forgot about that. "Don’t you guys have fiction books around here? Horror stories? Drama and romance?"

"We do!" Leon said, his eyes lighting up. "Most have lighthearted genres, though. The horror stories around here are mostly urban legends and superstitions, and they’re pretty scary." He seemed to shudder at that.

"As much as I would love to indulge in the conversation a bit more, I think it’s important that we pause for a moment and check the danger nevertheless," Luke interjected calmly. "We’ll conceal our auras and stay hidden. We need to know how many there are."

Ardyn swallowed heavily. His insides felt like they were twisting relentlessly. "Seriously?" he said in a small voice.

Man, these people are daredevils! he moaned in his head. What on earth is going through their heads?!

"Don’t worry," Leon said, reaching out to rest a hand against Ardyn’s back. "I’m right here if you need me."

"That’s very reassuring," Ardyn muttered, a hint of sarcasm coloring his tone. After all, if he got killed on the spot, there was nothing that Leon could do to save him. It would be too late.

The three of them moved slowly through the underbrush, following the direction of the dark energies. Ardyn could feel his heartbeat thundering in his ears with every cautious step, his palms growing cold and sweaty.

As they approached the source, Ardyn began to hear it. Growls, roars, and animal screeches that grew louder as they approached.

When they poked their heads out of the bushes, what Ardyn saw next made him freeze, his stomach churning with fear.

In the clearing before them, there appeared to be two groups of dark creatures locked in a brutal, vicious battle among themselves. The group on the left stood over seven feet tall on all fours, their bodies covered in thick, jagged scales. The group to the right were slightly smaller creatures, about six feet tall, covered in smooth black fur with pointed ears.

The atmosphere was filled with so much dark energy that Ardyn could almost taste it on his tongue. He didn’t even notice that his whole body was shaking.

All he could see were these creatures colliding wildly with each other, massive claws slicing through the air and drawing blood.

Oh god, Ardyn thought to himself.

But the blood was not an ordinary red. Rather, it was a dim shade of violet, pooling in a dark puddle on the grassy ground. The moons shone on the battleground, highlighting the battle in a gruesome yet mesmerizing way.

Within a minute, several bodies fell to the ground, and the group on the right appeared to be the victors. On the other hand, the left group had stopped fighting, seemingly surrendering to the stronger ones.

"Holy mother of crystals," Leon breathed out, eyes wide in horror. "I... I have never seen creatures like this before!"

Luke’s expression was grim. "I’m afraid the creatures have undergone violent mutations since last night. They are much more dangerous than normal." He took a deep breath. "It’s a relief that we didn’t take the carriage. It’s much too dangerous to travel through the night now."

Leon tensed. "We need to warn the village. If the beastspawns turn their attention this way..."

Ardyn swallowed. "Then let’s go. We need to stay low and quiet," he whispered.

The three nodded before carefully moving away, leaving the horrific scene behind. Luke led the way, with Ardyn following close behind, and Leon bringing up the rear.

Ardyn tried his best not to panic at what he had just seen. It was one thing to play video games that had tons of fighting and violence, and it was another thing to see it in real life. In real life, the horror set in quickly, like panic pouring down his throat and freezing his insides.

The Calamity was the most terrifying monster he had ever seen. The creature was massive and exuded a sinister aura that seeped into his very soul. But those beastspawns were also terrifying. Perhaps it was because there were so many of them.

I have a feeling that I’m going to be fearing for my life every single day in this world, Ardyn thought, groaning internally.

It was only when they were a few meters from the clearing that Luke spoke again.

"That was a lot of them," he said quietly. "We need to get to the village soon. Leon, are you sure that the carriage won’t be damaged?"

Leon nodded. "I’m sure. The beastspawns won’t even notice it in the first place."

"Do you think that more of them will come?" Ardyn asked in trepidation.

"I’m not sure," Luke said honestly.

Leon pulled his hood and mask back on. He was silent, but he kept glancing behind him, as if he was afraid that the beastspawns might follow them from afar.

They got back on the winding path and returned to the village. It was quieter than before, perhaps because the townspeople had stayed indoors for fear of what was happening.

A lone guard — or at least that was Ardyn’s guess — standing by the well noticed them and approached.

"What are you lads doing here?" he asked. "I remember you leaving twenty minutes ago."

"There’s danger up ahead of the road," Luke told him hastily. "We saw a number of beastspawns loitering in the clearing a few miles away. There’s no guarantee, but it’s still possible that they could come this way. They seemed to be hungry for blood. They fought each other quite violently."

The color seemed to drain from the guard’s face. "Is that true?! Then... Then we must warn everyone!"

The few villagers who were still outside looked in their direction in surprise. Then their expressions changed to shock.

"What did they just say?!"

"Beastspawns?! Coming this way??"

"That can’t be true!"

Soon they were running back and forth, knocking on doors, warning everyone. Friends, family, and neighbors.

An old man quickly approached the three of them, his face etched with concern.

"Young man, are you certain?" he asked Luke. "How many did you see?"

"More than I could count, unfortunately," Luke said solemnly. "There were two groups fighting each other. They seemed to have a different mutation this time. I could not recognize them from the hunt posters."

The old man’s face paled. "By the gods," he muttered. "Should we inform the soldiers of this?"

"We need to get everyone inside," Ardyn interjected, trying to stay calm and focused on the goal of staying safe. "We need to be ready to defend ourselves if necessary. Where are your weapons?"

At that moment, a crowd had formed around them. The townspeople exchanged nervous glances before springing into action. Some ran to get the weapons from their houses, while others began to barricade the gates and windows of their homes.

A blonde woman approached Ardyn. "Do you have a place to stay?" she asked worriedly. "You three are travelers, are you not?"

"Do you know of an inn where we can spend the night?" Luke asked her. "I don’t think it’s safe for us to travel tonight, with the danger and all."

"Oh, of course!" She nodded and began to lead them forward. "There is an inn further into town where you can stay. I will speak to the owner myself."

"Thank you," Luke said gratefully.

"No problem." The woman looked worried and nervous. "I am very concerned about the whole situation. This has never happened before. With the news from Angelbay City reaching our ears, we cannot help but feel anxious. What in the world is happening to Elfroien?"

"Everything will be all right," Luke tried to reassure her in a gentle tone. "As long as we are prepared in advance, we can prevent the danger from becoming too serious. And if anything happens, we’ll be here to help. You have our word."