SWNOVELS Chapter 58
The moon hung low in the sky, a pale sentinel watching over the land as Lyra, Fenris, and their unlikely ally Caden raced through the dense forest. Their breath came in ragged gasps, feet pounding against the earth as they pushed themselves to their limits. Time was running out, and they all knew the consequences of failure were too dire to contemplate.
“How much farther?” Lyra called out, her voice strained from exertion.
Fenris, leading the charge with his enhanced werewolf senses, glanced back over his shoulder. “Not far now. I can smell the incense they’re using for the ritual. We’re close.” Caden, keeping pace just behind them, let out a low growl. “We’d better be. If we don’t stop this ceremony before midnight, the barrier between worlds will be torn asunder.”
The gravity of their mission weighed heavily on Lyra’s mind as they pressed on. Just days ago, they had stumbled upon an ancient prophecy hidden in the ruins of a long- forgotten temple. It spoke of a convergence of dark energies that would allow malevolent forces to enter their world, bringing chaos and destruction in their wake. The key to this catastrophe lay in a ritual that could only be performed on this night, when the stars aligned in a specific configuration.
Their mad dash through the forest was the culmination of days of frantic research and preparation. They had deciphered cryptic clues, battled guardians of forgotten lore, and made unlikely alliances – all leading to this moment.
As they crested a small hill, the trees before them suddenly gave way to a vast clearing. In the center stood a circle of standing stones, each easily twice the height of a man. Dark-robed figures moved between the monoliths, their chanting carried on the night breeze.
Lyra felt her heart sink as she took in the scene. “There must be at least two dozen of them,” she whispered, instinctively crouching lower to avoid detection.
Fenris nodded grimly, his eyes scanning the area for any weakness in their defenses. “More than we anticipated. This won’t be easy.”
“Since when has anything worth doing ever been easy?” Caden quipped, though there was a tension in his voice that belied his casual tone.
Lyra closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself and pushing away the fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her. When she opened them again, her gaze was filled with determination. “We need a plan. We can’t just charge in there blindly.”
Fenris nodded in agreement, his tactical mind already working through their options. “The ritual seems to be focused on that central altar,” he said, pointing to a large stone slab at the heart of the circle. “If we can disrupt whatever’s happening there, it might be enough to unravel the entire ceremony.”
“Agreed,” Caden said, surprising both Lyra and Fenris with his quick acquiescence. “But how do we get past all those guards? Even with our abilities, we’re outnumbered.”
Lyra’s eyes lit up as an idea began to form. “What if we don’t have to get past them? What if we go over them instead?”
Both werewolves turned to her, curiosity evident in their expressions. Lyra quickly outlined her plan, pointing out the tall trees that bordered the clearing and the low- hanging branches that extended over the outer ring of cultists.
“If we can make our way through the canopy,” she explained, “we might be able to drop down right in the center of the circle before they even know we’re here.”
Fenris’s eyes widened in understanding, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “It’s risky, but it just might work. What do you think, Caden?”
The other werewolf considered for a moment before nodding. “It’s as good a plan as any. But we’ll need to move fast. The energy in the air is already building – we don’t have much time left.”
With their strategy decided, the trio made their way to the edge of the clearing, using the shadows of the trees for cover. As they prepared to ascend, Fenris pulled Lyra close, his eyes searching hers.
“Be careful up there,” he murmured, concern evident in his voice. “I know you’re skilled, but one wrong move…”
Lyra silenced him with a quick kiss. “I’ll be fine. Just focus on getting to that altar. We can do this, Fenris. Together.”
He nodded, giving her hand one last squeeze before they began their ascent. Lyra marveled at the ease with which both Fenris and Caden scaled the massive tree trunks, their werewolf strength and agility on full display. She was no slouch herself, years of training and adventure having honed her body into a finely-tuned instrument, but she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy at their supernatural abilities.
As they made their way through the canopy, inching along branches and leaping silently from tree to tree, Lyra’s mind raced with possibilities and potential pitfalls. What if the cultists detected their presence? What if the ritual was further along than they anticipated? What if their interference somehow made things worse instead of better? She pushed these doubts aside, focusing instead on the task at hand. Each step, each carefully planned movement brought them closer to their goal. The chanting from below grew louder, the air thick with the scent of burning herbs and the crackle of arcane energy.
Finally, they reached their chosen position, perched on a thick branch directly above the inner circle of the ritual space. Lyra’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the scene below. A group of black-robed figures stood around the central altar, their arms raised as they intoned words in a language she didn’t recognize. On the stone slab lay a young woman, her wrists and ankles bound, her eyes wide with terror. “They’re going to sacrifice her,” Lyra whispered, horror and anger warring within her. Fenris nodded grimly. “Not if we have anything to say about it. Are you both ready?” Lyra and Caden nodded in unison. With a silent count of three, they launched themselves from the branch, plummeting toward the heart of the ritual circle.