House of Hunters

Chapter 3 - Werewolves and Portals

I run through the gardens, the moonlight casting eerie shadows on the ground. It bathes the gardens in a pale, ethereal glow, turning the pastelled flowers and foliage into ghostly silhouettes. The shadows dance and shift with each step I take.

It feels like the Palace is alive and trying to swallow me whole before I can get away.

I glance back over my shoulder.

Cressida Palace is ablaze with flames. The once grand Palace is now a chaotic inferno, no doubt from my spell. The flames lick at the intricate architecture and glow through the shattered windows in an ominous and threatening manner. The night sky is painted with an ominous red glow, reflecting off the golden accents of the Palace's exterior.

The mages have collected outside to watch the spectacle. Some are trying to control the blaze with a water spell. By morning the Palace will have fixed itself. Magical buildings have a way of doing that.

Above me, hundreds of Strix's swirl like seagulls preying on a chip. They're black shadows in the light of the inferno.

Behind me, Maria is racing towards me with intense fury. Her hands swirl into another ball of burning hot embers as she commands her Strix to rush forward.

She is not alone anymore. A dozen of the most senior mages, adorned in attire from rich royal blues to purple, trail behind her. Like Maria, the gold embroidery that dawns their attire - something only bonded mages get - has twisted into live vines.

It acts as armour, protecting the mages from whatever wrath might come out of my hands.

But I'm not on the attack tonight. I just want to get away before they kill me. I need to find out what's going on and why this damned bird bonded with me.

I rush through the hedge mazes that stand tall and imposing. Their twists and turns create an intricate network of paths resemble ants building a colony. The sharp green edges of the hedges create a stark contrast against the dark shadows of the woods that are beyond the mazes.

I brush past leaves, rustling them, and crunch twigs under feet that echo throughout the maze. It leaves me with an uncanny feeling in the pit of my stomach. The hedges seem to whisper and sway in breeze that has whipped up as though even the Palace grounds know something is amiss tonight. Their branches reach out like skeletal fingers, trying to grasp at me to trap me into the hedge.

I quicken my pace. Now is not the time to get trapped in the Palace hedge maze.

As I navigate through the maze, the air grows colder, sending shivers down my arms. The hairs on the back of my neck stick up.

I reach the end of the maze and plunge straight into the mass of twisted dark trees. Their gnarled trunks and droopy leaves create a canopy that blocks out even the faintest hint of moonlight.

My heart races as I realize I am not alone in these woods; whispers seem to dance just at the edge of my ears, and shadows flit past my vision at every turn.

I press on, driven by a desperate need to escape the chaos consuming Cressida Palace after the black bird apleared.

The deeper I delve into the woods, the more the darkness seems to envelope me like a suffocating cloak. The once familiar sounds of chirping crickets and rustling leaves have morphed into an eerie silence. It sends a chill down my spine.

Every step I take feels like a heavy weight pressing down on me. It's a weight not just of fear but of an impending doom that lurks in the shadows.

And then I hear it.

Something is following me. It's on my heels, galloping. 

My pace quickens and my breath begins to come out in ragged gasps as I push through the undergrowth. The branches claw at my skin, leaving angry red welts in their wake. Panic surges through me, threatening to overwhelm my senses.