Bridging Worlds: Book 1 Celestoria's Time

-Grim waste-

Eowyn awoke in the cage. Her keen ears detected the subdued sounds of the camp, and she couldn’t help but notice that there were fewer guards present than before. It seemed that the information she had overheard was accurate. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

She gently nudged her sleeping brother, Davhil, who stirred awake. His eyes met Eowyn’s, and she could see the glimmer of hope in them. She quickly outlined her plan in a hushed voice, making sure not to alert the guards who were stationed nearby.

“The barriers have been switched,” she whispered. “The one in our cage is weaker than the others. I’ll use my shadow magic to create an opening. While I do that, you keep an eye out for any patrolling guards and give me a signal if they approach.”

Davhil nodded, still somewhat bewildered by the notion of “weaker” and “stronger” barriers. But he trusted his sister implicitly.

Eowyn began to channel her shadow magic. Slowly, she forged a shadow blade, its dark form gleaming with an eerie light. She carefully sliced through the barrier and wooden bars of their cage, inch by inch, all while Davhil remained vigilant, peering through the gaps in the tent.

Finally, the moment came. Eowyn felt a shiver of anticipation as the last bar gave way. She nodded to Davhil, and they silently slipped out of the cage. Eowyn knew that any confrontation would likely end in their recapture, so they had to be discreet.

With the cage bars now behind them, Eowyn quickly formulated a plan for their escape. She turned to her brother, Davhil, her eyes filled with determination. “Davhil, I need you to go out of the camp first,” she whispered. “Find a safe spot and wait for me. I’ll retrieve our belongings from the tent, and then I’ll join you. It’s safer this way.”

Davhil hesitated, reluctant to leave his sister’s side. But he could see the conviction in her eyes and knew that her bravery and intelligence were their greatest assets. Reluctantly, he nodded in agreement. “Alright, Eowyn. But please be careful. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.”

Eowyn gave her brother a reassuring smile. “I’ll be as swift as the shadows themselves, Davhil. We’ll be reunited soon, and then we can continue our journey.”

With a last, lingering look, Davhil slipped away into the obscurity of the night, moving silently towards the camp’s perimeter. He knew that Eowyn would follow, and he could feel the weight of their shared determination in the stillness of the night.

Eowyn, on the other hand, took a deep breath and steeled herself for her next task. She needed to retrieve their belongings from the tent without alerting the guards. She moved with the grace of a panther, her footsteps as soft as the night breeze. The tent’s entrance loomed ahead, and her heart raced with anticipation.

Inside the tent, she spotted her bow and arrows, along with the luminaflora flower and her brother’s confiscated belongings. She deftly gathered their things, her heart pounding in her chest. But as she turned to leave, her foot accidentally bumped into a bowl, sending it clattering to the ground with a resounding crash.

The noise was like a gunshot in the quiet camp. Eowyn’s heart sank as the guards outside the tent were alerted to her presence. Without a second thought, she burst through the tent’s entrance, bow in hand, ready to fight her way out.

Eowyn was met with a group of guards rushing towards her. They were determined to stop her escape. With a fierce battle cry, she nocked an arrow and let it fly, the projectile finding its mark with deadly accuracy. One guard fell, but others closed in.

Eowyn’s shadow magic came to life, a swirling maelstrom of darkness that seemed to dance around her like a protective cloak. With a fluid motion, she conjured a shadow blade, its form wickedly sharp. She parried and struck with a deadly grace, dispatching one foe after another.

The remaining guards hesitated, fear evident in their eyes. It was clear that their leader, Vernit, and the elite mages were not present in the camp. Eowyn seized the opportunity to press her advantage. She fought like a whirlwind, her shadow blade leaving dark streaks in the air as she moved with unmatched agility.

As the battle raged, Eowyn’s determination to escape grew stronger with every passing moment. The camp lacked the magical shields that had confined them, which meant that once she broke free, there would be no stopping her. In a final, desperate charge, she incapacitated the last of the guards, and they scattered.

Gasping for breath, Eowyn finally made her escape from the camp. She had been victorious, but it was a battle that had taken a toll on her. The siblings had arranged to meet further away from the camp, and Eowyn spotted Davhil waiting for her, his expression a mix of relief and concern.

The siblings finally met, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. Their hearts were filled with relief as they embraced, the tight hug serving as a silent confirmation of their successful escape. They had managed to slip away from the camp, leaving the chaos and confusion behind.

But Eowyn and Davhil knew that their escape was only the beginning of a new journey, one that was shrouded in uncertainty and danger. Eowyn whispered, “We made it, Davhil. Now we need to find out more about what’s happening in Celestoria and why it’s become such a target.”

Davhil nodded in agreement, his determination unwavering. “You’re right, Eowyn. Our escape has given us a chance to uncover the truth. We need to understand the situation and see if there’s a way we can make a difference.”

As they ventured into their journey, they couldn’t help but reflect on the valuable information they had gleaned from the guards’ conversation. The target that the guards had mentioned during her eavesdropping was undoubtedly Celestoria, a city in turmoil.