Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 336: Hollowfen Village

Drusilla raised her hand, runes flaring around her fingers. "Then let's see how it handles fire!''

She hurled a bolt of burning energy that struck the creature squarely, sending it shrieking into the dirt. The flames lit the mist and revealed more of them. Crawling from alleyways, emerging from the shadows of shattered homes. Twisted remnants of what had once been human. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Raegar set his stance, ready to continue fighting, eyes narrowing. ''We're surrounded.''

''Then we fight our way through,'' Nivara said, spinning her blades with grim determination.

The creatures surged forward, shrieking in unison. Raegar met the first one head-on, crossing his daggers again and driving them into its chest. ''Stay close!'' he barked as the others closed in, claws flashing, eyes burning like embers in the fog.

Following that, the trio continued fighting through the lunging creatures while heading for the village, and when they got close, he sensed the wards and realized it was coming from the nearby buildings, prompting him to point out. ''Head for that temple! We can hide in there.''

Just then, Raegar sensed hundreds of the creepy humanoids rushing in their direction, letting out all kinds of horrifying noises that echoed through the village. Once reaching the place, he slammed into the door and fell inside as the women followed behind, dropping on top of him.

The creatures stopped at the door and couldn't cross the threshold, allowing him to focus on the enemies. That's when their power came to him, way over Tier Ten, because he couldn't tell thanks to being stronger than himself. Drusilla felt it instantly and became worried as she whispered. ''I think it was a bad idea to come here, Rae.''

''It's fine,'' he waved her away. ''We just have to escape on foot, thanks to my Fusion Realm being out of commission, but the question is, how do we get out?''

''Have you tried that device Alice gave us?'' Nivara asked, standing up while scanning their surroundings.

Raegar pulled out the communication device and sent some Aether into it, but it wasn't working, annoying him even more. He looked at the two women. ''Nothing, looks like we can use spells but not teleportation or summoning magic?''

Everyone agreed, only for an old woman's voice to echo out. ''You're right, young one. This place has been taken over by things that don't belong in this world. Hollowfen is a trap, known to all as a death zone in this part of the world.''

''A death zone?'' Drusilla spoke up, looking confused.

''Yes, Fairy. It's a place where people come to die,'' the older woman stepped out of the shadows. ''I'm surprised you three came here to be honest, a stupid move on your part.''

''We've come for the Aether Waylines,'' Raegar answered. ''Where are they? Once I move to Mist, I can break out of this place.''

When the stranger heard this, she began to laugh before questioning. ''Was it a young woman who told you about this place?''

Raegar and the women looked shocked, amusing the stranger as she continued. ''She's been spotted all over the south, spreading the word of Hollowfen, the forces here use her a a sick messenger.''

''What about her family?'' the Dark Elf said, shocked and baffled. ''I knew about this place from traders while on the road.''

''Well, of course you would, merchants love to gossip,'' the old woman replied, chuckling. ''Take a seat and get some rest. You'll meet the rest of the village in the morning, and the leader will be here, I'm sure.''

''How do we get out?'' Raegar spoke up, worry rising inside him.

''I've been here for years, lad, I don't intend to die looking for an exit when I'm fine here,'' the stranger replied, looking at him with a strange expression. ''It's not like my life was better in the outside world; I was homeless and on the brink of starvation until coming here.''

The trio looked at her as they got comfortable. Raegar's stomach rumbled, forcing him to take out some monster meat, handing some to Nivara and Drusilla, who happily took the offerings. When the older woman smelled the hot meals, her eyes snapped to it as he handed some to her.

''Here you go, try some,'' he said.

Following that, everyone ate in silence as Raegar turned to the nearby window as the creepy humanoids rushed around the village, calling for the people inside to come out, which sent a shiver down his body, thanks to their being strong. He didn't know where he was and had never heard about such a place.

'Maybe a separate dimension that people get trapped inside?' he mused. 'And that young woman spreads the words, attracting travelers to stop of here, getting kidnapped here.'

Raegar shook his head and turned to Drusilla, who was busy stripping the fat from the cooked meat. ''I think we've been teleported to a different dimension, thanks to sensing the world's Aether still. So maybe it's an ancient trap of some sort?''

''Impossible,'' the older woman said, friendlier this time. ''We come from the same time period and all kinds of places. And the young woman is the key to trapping us in here.''

''I understand that, but it has to be powered by Aether,'' he responded, staring at a group of humanoids banging on one house.

''Yes, I can feel the magic, but it's useless past self-defence,'' the stranger said before introducing herself. ''I'm Caroline Ashford, part of the infamous Ashford Family of the Dawnfire Empire.''

The trio glanced at her just as Raegar answered. ''An old family nearly died off the year I was born. My grandparents talk of Jasper and Margaret fondly, saying they were lovely people.''

''What happened to them?'' Caroline asked, something in her voice told him it was important, so he was honest.

''Killed in a Devil raid,'' he revealed. ''I tried to rush there, but by the time I came across the Ashford Manor, it was too late.''

''Oh, okay, thanks for telling me, young man,'' she replied, looking down trodden.

''Are you the famous member who vanished four decades ago? While on a journey to the capital to meet your father?'' Raegar asked, shocking everyone,

Nivara glanced at him, red eyes full of curiosity as she questioned. ''From another book?''

''Yes, it's a famous tale I heard from one of my uncles, then I read into it,'' he revealed, a knowing smile crossing his face.

He looked at the older woman, continuing. ''You're Duchess Caroline Ashford, the strongest woman of the Dawnfire Empire, despite fading into the background when your one and only son, Jasper Ashford, was born.''

Caroline's eyes watered before she wiped them, nodding. ''Yes, boy, I thought I was forgotten, but it seems like I was wrong.''

''You're my mother's Godmother,'' he revealed, knowing the news would shock the old woman. ''Bestfriend of Elysia Vaelthorne, the one woman grandmother couldn't forget, plus you were gorgeous when you were my age, I would have chased you.''

Raegar laughed at his own words, causing Caroline to smile. ''Thanks, boy, but I am past all that. This place sucked my happiness away, and now I only survive the night and work the days. It's all we can do.''

''You know Jasper had many children? They were being cared for by Margaret's mother until growing old enough,'' he informed the older woman. ''My grandmother sent an allowance every month, so they have everything needed to survive.''

As soon as those words left Raegar's lips, Caroline exploded, rushing toward him, quicker than any of them expected. ''So the Ashfords aren't gone?''

''No, one of my women comes from one of your grandchildren; they took the name Sunfire, and her name is Alice,'' he answered.

The older woman sighed in relief. ''That was my father's wish, for our bloodline not to die out like many others. Too many in the previous wars.''

Just then, howls echoed out just as screaming erupted from a nearby house, forcing Caroline to rush toward the window, hissing. ''Damn, people must have dropped their talisman! Stupid idiots. They knew the rules!''

Raegar was baffled and questioned. ''Those are the wards we sensed?''

''Yes, the people who I was here with at the start found them deep in the woods,'' she responded, checking on the temple's talisman.

Raegar noticed it was hanging by the front door as she continued. ''This protects the building from the Night People, but we cannot leave or they'll attack like the Jameson Family across the road.''

Following that, the trio joined her at the window and spotted the Night People dragging people out of a nearby house, brutally killing them before the leader drank the wife's blood and stepped back into the darkness. Leaving Drusilla and Nivara confused and horrified by the scene.

''This place comes straight from a nightmare,'' he muttered, shocked by the suddenness of it all. ''But we'll escape it, somehow.''

''Hopefully, we need to get to my people before winter starts,'' Nivara commented, looking concerned.