Fated Triad: Shadows of the Forbidden Moon

Elijah's POV

We were headed back to the camp as the sun was sinking. Seeing the wrecked stronghold behind us brought both relief and a sobering reminder of the perilous route ahead. Although we had stopped the council's custom, we understood that this struggle was simply a fraction of a far more major issue.

The sound of fast footsteps cut off my thinking. Graham turned swiftly. He had been very silent since the fall. "We're not yet in danger." We have to go.

I nodded, feeling the weight of the recent occurrences. Our triumph had come at a price, and the council would not treat their plans being undermined very kindly. We had to surpass them.

I listened for a stirring in the undergrowth. I tightened, my hand reaching for the weapon at my side naturally. Was anyone else aware of that? I spoke a murmur.

Stopped both Graham and Ariel, their faces strained. "It could be another trap," Ariel remarked, staring around.

Just a few feet when a young woman emerged from the shadows-her clothes frayed and her face covered with grime. She raised desperate-looking eyes at us.

Her voice shaking, she begged, "Help me." They are arriving. The men of the council: "

A flash of gunshots flashed from the forest before she could continue. With bullets zipping past us, we sought shelter. Screaming, the young woman dropped to the ground and grabbed her side. "Stay low!" Pulling Ariel to the cover of a nearby tree, I yelled. Graham had already moved quickly and precisely to engage the assailants.

From the trees, shadows appeared, their weapons shining in the last of the evening. As we ready for yet another encounter, I could sense the strain mounting. We afford to lose this battle. "Get the girl to safety!" Graham hollered across the firing range. I nodded and hurried toward the wounded woman, who was trying to crawl away.

When I got to her, blood was flowing through her ripped garments. We have to get you out of here, I whispered, lifting her softly.

Her voice hardly audible, she gasped, "Please." They are after something, something significant.

A grenade burst close by, throwing trash everywhere before I could probe her further. The blast knocked us both down. I tried to clear the ringing in my ears by shaking my head.

Graham and Ariel were still battling off the intruders, their faces grim and determined, when I looked up. I staggered to my feet, the wounded woman in my arms.

We had to keep moving, I murmured, dragging her away from the peril. With closed eyes, she nodded softly.

We arrived at a little clearing, and I placed her down carefully and examined her cuts. Her breathing was weak; I could see life seeping from her. She was hardly conscious, but I wanted to ask her about the crucial point she had raised. Graham came along, his face covered in mud and sweat. "We have to get her seen medically," he replied hurriedly. "But we also need to find out what she was talking about.."

Ariel showed up next us, her face worn with tiredness but also resolved. "The council will be getting back together. We have to find our next action and get to a safer place.

We hurried ahead and came upon an abandoned cabin close by. Not much, but it provided some cover from the elements and a spot to care for our wounded friend. In an attempt to stabilize the woman, I laid a temporary bandage over her wounds.

Ariel walked the room, pacing it, clearly nervous as we worked. "What if the council comes upon us here? Imagine if this is a trap.

Graham responded, his voice stern, "We have to accept a risk here. "We need responses; this woman might be the key."

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The young woman waved open her eyes. She stared at us, a mix of hope and terror. "The council is after something quite potent. It is concealed in an area they believe to be safe but is not. I listened in on their conversation over an antiquated relic.

My heart surged. "What item?" Where is it?

Her voice almost whispered, she battled to speak. "It is in a secret cavern under the city. They intend to dominate everything using it for their own needs.

Her comments made my back shiver. An object with such power was lethal in the wrong hands. We had to locate it before the council convened. "We have to head to the city," I murmured, resolving the building in me. "We could be able to permanently stop them if we locate this chamber." Graham nodded with a firm look. "We will have to move quickly. Not far behind the council will be.

We got ready to go, ensuring the young woman was as cozy as we could have made her. Every second was priceless; we couldn't afford to waste time.

The sun sank below the horizon as we drove nearer the city, creating lengthy shadows across the terrain. Though I felt the weight of the work ahead was great, we had no option. Plans of the council were too risky to overlook. Ahead the city loomed, its lights flickering far away. Unlike the turmoil we had just left, the streets were shockingly peaceful. We negotiated the alleyways, our senses alert. Every shadow seemed to provide a possible hazard.

At last we arrived at the door of the secret chamber. Nestled away from the major streets was a little, unassuming building. Benevolent behind a large iron door, the entry was dirty and covered in grime.

Graham responded, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and anxiety: "This is it. "We must exercise caution. The council will have put up security protocols.

We pushed the door open to expose a black stairway descending into the ground. The small passageways echoed the faint sound of trickling water; the air was musty and stuffy.

Leading the way, my beam sliced across the night. Every step on the almost endless stairs added to the weight of the future. At the bottom we discovered ourselves in a vast room. Old stone lined the walls, which also featured unusual symbols. "This must be the place," Ariel replied, sounding a mix of wonder and fear.

We tread gently across the chamber, our eyes looking for the relic. Dusty books and old antiques abound in the room; their meaning vanished with time.

We froze when we neared the middle of the cave. Footfall reverberated across the hall, getting louder with every second.

Graham said, "They're here," his eyes wild with panic. "We have to locate the relic and go before they discover us."

We looked desperately; the pressure grew with every second. As I went over the relics, my heart pounded and ideas of what we were up against tore through my head.

At last I noticed a little, elegant box tucked beneath a stack of ancient books. It was decorated in complex carvings; something about it seemed significant. I opened the box gingerly to see a brilliant jewel inside. Holding up the jewel, I exclaimed, "This has to be it." The gem's radiance appeared to pulse with an alien vitality.

The chamber blazed with a dazzling light at just that, and the walls started to move. Men of the council had located us and were closing quickly. Our only option was to flee carrying the relic and hope our efforts would be sufficient to thwart their intentions.

The weight of the relic seemed more than it had as we returned to the surface. Though the actual fight was only starting, we have the key to stopping the council. Though the obstacles were great, with every stride we moved toward revealing the truth and ending their reign of terror.