Risha Chapter 38

Risha dodged another blade from the shadows, stepping back into the small area of visibility that Talo created. 

Risha glanced one more time at the man. His skin was pitch black, shadows twisting with each other in an ephemeral layer over his facial features. His eyes glowed a soft silver, in sharp contrast with the shadows that covered him.

Risha couldn’t look long, despite how fascinated she was with the effect. Instead, she focused back on the enemies that surrounded them. Her spiderlings lay in wait around them, but the strange magic that covered the enemy made it hard for Risha to signal any kind of attack.

[Hunter] highlighted the one person she’d caught a glance of as they moved through the dark magic they used. But she didn’t dare confront them when she knew that others waited in the darkness. 

Leaf-Watcher hadn’t moved from her position in front of the other two, although a small cut from an attempted attack marred her fur. 

Risha brought a hand up, and twisted the mana inside her into a ball of flame which she threw into the darkness.

For a brief second, it revealed another assailant before their strange magic consumed her flame. [Hunter] marked them, showing them as they circled her. 

Risha glanced one last time at the Leaf-Watcher and the two she protected. Leaf-Watcher gave Risha a small nod.

Risha tapped her sword against the ground five times. 

Her spiderlings and her had hunted many dangerous creatures, and they knew what she wanted. 

Webs extended once again into the enemy magic, spreading in purple weaves. Risha twirled her hand, and a wind blew through the darkness, picking up the strings and lifting them to cover the enemy.

Risha smiled, ready to bloody her teeth.

“To the left of me.”

“Above in the tree.”

“Circling in front of me.”

“Watching from the back.”

“To my right.”

Her spiderlings called out the enemy positions, letting Risha and each other know where to look. It was just in time, as the shadows swirled, then burst forward, puncturing the silver light that Talo produced. Talo did something with his silver light, meeting the darkness with a force that surprised Risha.

She didn’t let the surprise distract her as one of her spiderlings clicked a warning.

Risha spun around and her sword met a dark blade. Risha could feel the surprise of her opponent in their body language as she deflected their blade.

A moment later, purple web wrapped around the assassin’s throat, and they were pulled into the trees by the large spiderling waiting there. Kliks’ fangs sunk into the assailant’s flesh, and they paled. 

Risha turned away from the man to watch as webs wrapped around two more and pulled them into the branches of the trees. A fourth was ripped apart by a bloodied and angry Leaf-Watcher, his head rolling away from his body. 

The fifth one ran away, thinking to slip into the trees.

But Risha’s [Hunter] marked him.

She ran through the brush, the trail that he’d passed through clear to her eyes from broken twigs and upturned dirt. Her spiderlings jumped through the trees above her, trusting in her senses to track the man that had tried to run.

Darkness engulfed her as she closed in on the assassin, but she didn’t care as she waved her hand and summoned flame to it.

The illumination was brief before it was consumed, but she saw the man, covered in white cloth, except for his face, where shadows swirled over his skin, and silver eyes watched her. 

She rolled under a dagger that was thrown at her, then sprung to her feet. 

A spiderling dropped to the ground in front of the assassin, and he skidded to a stop. Darkness gathered to his fingertips and she recognized the mana that he gathered. 

Risha leapt, and stabbed forward. Her sword pierced his back, jutting out through his stomach. The mana he’d gathered dispersed and his hands dropped as he stared down at the bloody blade.

She pulled her sword out and he collapsed, the last of the darkness disappearing to reveal the evening light.

Risha growled at the dead man, then turned to the spiderling who’d dropped down, “bring his body.” 

She sheathed her sword, then turned around.

The spiderling picked up the man, and followed Risha as she made her way back to the site of the battle. 

Risha stepped into the clearing, and noted the three assassins that hung in cocoons from the ceiling. 

Leaf-Watcher stood vigilant above the corpse of the last assassin, her nose raised to the air as she watched the trees.

Talo had his cloth wrapped around his face again, and Aliya hid her face inside his robes, only peeking out to watch Risha as she approached. 

Risha stopped in the middle of the clearing, and looked at Talo. “Do you know who they are?”

Talo bowed his head, “I have guesses.” 

Risha looked at the head of the one Leaf-Watcher had killed, the shadows still swirling in his skin, the same way that it had swirled on Talo’s face. “What are you?”

“Shades.” Talo answered, “From the depths.” 

Risha remembered how Maya had said that her and Grand Mother Cala were similar. She wondered what she meant by that. Risha did not look like these shades.

Risha stepped closer to the dead Shade, studying it. 

Risha shrugged, and looked up at the hanging cocoons that her spiderlings feasted from. “Why would Shades attack me?”

“Not you,” Talo said.

Risha looked over, then followed his gaze to the small vinechild. 

Risha walked towards them and Talo shifted ever so slightly to protect Aliya.

She looked up at him in surprise, and he met her gaze. Risha understood the message in his eyes. They’d lived a life where they couldn’t trust anyone, where they feared for their lives. Risha understood that.

He must’ve seen something in Risha’s eyes too, because the tenseness left his body and he looked away from her. 

Risha knelt down in front of Aliya, and saw a familiar fear there. Worry that Risha was going to leave her, or hate her. 

Risha reached out, and patted the little one’s head, “Risha will keep you safe. Risha’s sword is stronger than any Shade.” 

Tears welled up in the little girl’s eyes, and Risha’s heart melted. She’d always had a soft spot for children.

Aliya left Talo and ran into Risha, her arms holding onto the Goblin tight. Risha hugged her back, gently patting her as sobs racked her body.
Risha stood up and held the girl as she clinged to her. Talo watched on with a happy sadness. 

Risha held the girl tight, the vinechild’s head resting in her shoulder. 

She turned to Leaf-Watcher, and asked in a quiet voice, “Are you alright?” 

Leaf-Watcher dropped her nose from the sky, and bowed her head to Risha. “Just scratches,” She huffs with annoyance, “Their scent lingers here, but I don’t believe any live.” 

“The sounds of fighting have moved farther away,” Risha added, her gaze on the distance where Glo fought with their army. “We should leave here, in case there are more.” 

Leaf-Watcher nodded, then looked to the child in Risha’s arms. 

“I will carry her. Keep watch for more.”

Leaf-Watcher nodded, then fell to all fours. 

Risha stomped the ground twice with her foot, and most of her spiderlings returned to her, climbing up her cloak with full bellies.

Risha walked with the girl in her arms, Talo right behind her. Two large spiderlings watched from the trees, while Leaf-Watcher bound ahead to scout the way as they made their way towards the fighting. 

They soon encountered the battlefield, large craters and bodies filling the scene. More orcs than anything else, but Risha still recognized her people among the dead. She walked on anyway. 

Eventually they made their way to the wounded camps, where Tya led healers in making sure that the monsters lived.

[Mother’s Care] spread out, covering the camp and lessening the load on Tya. Leaf-Watcher’s wounds also started to heal, and Risha felt bad that she hadn’t used the ability earlier. She’d been caught up with the threat that the Shades represented.

Tya immediately caught sight of Risha, and gave her a small nod before running to help the injured. 

Risha looked down at the girl in her arms, and realized that she was asleep. She motioned for Talo to step forward, and handed the girl to him.

Talo held her awkwardly, his body stiff, but there was love in his every movement as he held the girl.

Risha caught Leaf-Watcher’s gaze, and had her come to watch the two. Risha wanted to see what was happening in the battle.

One of her spiderlings dropped from the trees, and Risha swung up onto its back. 

The spiderling skittered through the forest, quickly covering the distance until Risha caught sight of the battle. 

Red and purple mist covered the battlefield. A large line of orcs carrying heavy shields defended several shamans who controlled wind and fire to hold back Risha’s army. 

She watched as a spear covered in purple spirit punctured the shieldwall, the goblin who wielded it glowing with power. 

Red mist flowed through the opening Glo had created, wrapping around the necks of the shamans, and seeping into them. The shamans fell where they stood, and the last of the orc defences collapsed. 

Risha looked through the dying enemies, until her gaze landed on their leader, his body under Klaz’zks’s clawed legs.

They’d won.

A cheer made its way through the army, howling and barking following it as every monster made their voice heard.

Risha joined in from where she stood and heard the chittering of her own spiderlings on her cloak.

Tomorrow, they marched on to the last orc city, and then they returned home.

Risha had done what she’d set out to do, but she still sensed the threat on the horizon. She’d yet to face the full power of the other races, and Maya’s warnings had not fallen on deaf ears.