Seven hours earlier...
——
Aralus' POV
Aralus watched as the two humans vanished into the narrow crevice, his heart pounded with both anticipation and urgency. "After them! Don't let them escape!" He barked, his voice echoing off the mountain walls.
The elven soldiers surged forward, their shouts echoing off the mountain walls as they entered the dark opening. Aralus followed close behind, his sword drawn and ready. A grin was plastered across the faces of each and every Elven soldier, all were excited at the prospect of killing human heroes.
The crevice opened into a series of winding tunnels, the air damp and cool. The pursuing elves spread out, their voices bouncing off of the stone walls as they searched for their targets. Aralus pushed forward, determined to capture the fleeing humans.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm. Aralus whirled around, ready to strike, only to find himself face to face with a soldier bearing the distinctive black markings of the Oculi Noctis, an elite unit filled with the best scouts of the kingdom, soldiers perfect for tracking enemies of the state.
"Captain," the Oculus Noctis whispered urgently, "we need to speak. Now."
Recognising the gravity in the soldier's tone, Aralus nodded and pulled them both into a small alcove. "What is it?" he demanded.
The Oculus Noctis' eyes darted nervously around the tunnel before locking onto Aralus. "Sir, I noticed something... unusual. There was something guiding the humans."
"A human?" Aralus questioned.
"At first glance, yes."
"At first glance? stop speaking in riddles!" Demanded Aralus.
"My apologies sir, when I locked eyes onto the human guiding the other two, it immediately felt my presence and turned in my direction, it had dark green, irradiating eyes, and skin that seemed to have bugs crawling under it."
Aralus felt his blood run cold. "A Shapeshifter."
The scout nodded grimly. "I've encountered one before. The aura is unmistakable and by my estimation it may even be slightly stronger than you, sir."
Aralus cursed under his breath. Shapeshifters were crafty monsters, much more intelligent than the normal monster and if this one was as strong as the scout said it was... "Damn it! I was hoping to kill those two myself." Sighed Aralus.
The Oculi Noctis scout suddenly lost concentration on Aralus and was seemingly focused on audio being transmitted through his enchanted stone.
"Sir," the Oculus Noctis scout continued, "Another issue, we have picked up signs of human activity further up the mountain. A large group, possibly an army, will be descending soon."
Aralus weighed his options quickly. The humans were as good as dead, and his men were now in grave danger from both the Shapeshifter and the potential human forces.
"Sound the retreat," he ordered, his voice low but firm. "Get everyone out of these tunnels immediately."
The Oculus Noctis nodded and disappeared into the darkness. Moments later, Aralus's voice boomed through the caverns. "All forces, withdraw! Fall back to the mountain base immediately!"
Confusion and protest met his orders, but the urgency in his voice spurred his soldiers into action. They began streaming back towards the entrance, their shouts now tinged with fear and uncertainty.
As Aralus ushered his men out of the crevice, he cast one last glance into the dark depths of the mountain. The humans were as good as dead, Aralus should mkae sure they were dealt with but his own men came first.
"Move quickly," he ordered as they emerged onto the mountainside. "We need to be well clear of this area before the human forces arrive."
With a mixture of relief and lingering tension, Aralus led his troops down the mountain, leaving behind the ill-fated humans and the lurking horrors within the caverns.
——
Ryan's POV
The sun had begun its descent towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the rugged mountain terrain. Ryan supported Eleanor as they trudged upwards, each step a battle against exhaustion and the treacherous landscape.
Ryan helped Eleanor to her feet, catching her as she nearly collapsed from weakness. Her face was pale, and the makeshift bandage on her shoulder was soaked through.
Eleanor's wound needs proper treatment soon, Ryan thought, his concern growing.
"That thing can't follow us out here, can it?" Ryan asked, glancing nervously back towards the cave entrance.
Eleanor managed a weak smile. "If it could follow us out here, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Maybe it hates being in the sun? But If that's all that is stopping it" Eleanor glanced up at the steadily setting sun, "then we'd better move faster."
Ryan nodded, supporting more of Eleanor's weight as they continued to move. Their encounter with the shapeshifter had left them both shaken, and the urgency to find help before nightfall was palpable.
After a few more grueling minutes of climbing they rounded a bend in the rocky path, Ryan's eyes widened. Ahead, a crude wooden watchtower stood against the backdrop of the mountain peak. His heart leapt – a sign of human presence.
"Look!" he said, pointing. "That must be one of the human outposts you mentioned."
Eleanor squinted at the structure, then nodded. "Yes... we must be close to their main encampment."
They quickened their pace as much as Eleanor's condition would allow. As they neared the watchtower, a gruff voice called out from above.
"Halt! Identify yourselves!"
Ryan looked up to see a bearded man peering down at them, his hands were trained on their position.
"We're humans!" Ryan called back, his voice hoarse. "We escaped from elven pursuit. My friend is injured and needs help!"
There was a moment of tense silence before the guard responded. "Stay where you are, A patrol will be here shortly."
True to the guard's word, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed off of the rocks. A group of five soldiers, clad in leather armor emblazoned with a mountain peak insignia, came into view.
The leader, a stern-faced woman with a scar running down her left cheek, approached them cautiously, sword in hand. "I'm Lyra. Who are you, and how did you end up here?"
Ryan took a deep breath, "I'm Ryan, and this is Eleanor. We're... we're heroes, who unluckily both teleported into elf territory. We were being pursued by elves and escaped through a cave system in the mountain. But Eleanor was wounded, and we encountered... something in the caves. Please help her, she needs medical attention."
Captain Lyra's eyes narrowed as she studied them, her gase lingering on Eleanor's makeshift bandage. After a moment, she nodded to one of her soldiers. "Gren, help the wounded one." Lyra raised her voice, "The rest of you, stay alert."
As Gren moved to support Eleanor, Lyra turned back to Ryan. "Human heroes huh? So you are the two everyone's heard about. We'll need you to tell us everything you found out, but first, let's get you both to safety. Our main camp isn't far."
Relief washed over Ryan as they began moving again, this time with the protection of the mountain patrol. As they walked, he couldn't help but glance back down the mountain path, half-expecting to see glowing green eyes emerging from the shadows. Instead, what Ryan saw was around 100 humans covered in leaves and dirt coming out of the trees and returning to their various positions higher up the mountain.
I thought that having only one guard and a small patrol was a bit underwhelming.
"The elves," Ryan said, turning back to Lyra. "They were right behind us earlier. Is there a risk they might follow?"
Lyra shook her head. "Our 'scouts' reported seeing a group of elves retreating from the mountain not long ago. Don't worry – we've got eyes on every approach. If they come back, they will be noticed and dealt with immediately.