Chapter 79: Shadows in Motion

Aaron's POV

The forest was peaceful, sunlight trickling through the canopy as we wandered between trees, searching for herbs for our quests.

A cool breeze rustled the leaves, the birds chirped, and squirrels climbed trees. The forest was beautiful and calming, a scene I enjoyed.

I looked over at Araki, who was searching the ground for animal tracks that could lead us to our objective, Ember Grass.

Ember Grass is a simple herb that radiates heat even when it's winter. Adventurers are known to dry and then eat it to stay warm during the winter while on quests, and alchemists use it for some potions.

Ember Grass can normally be found during fall, just before winter begins.

I was a little skeptical about the quest, as it is still a little early, but the pay was good, so we gave it a try.

Zek and Orin were walking close by. Orin was keeping an eye out for any animals or monsters while Zek was doing something with magic, and I stayed a little behind, watching our backs.

I kept to the back, eyes scanning the ground for anything valuable or noteworthy.

I don't care much for gathering herbs, but until we ranked up at the guild, it was just the best we could do. Besides, it was nice to have a moment of quiet.

Until I heard it.

^Aaron… I'm hungry.^

A dark and raspy voice echoed in my mind, a familiar voice, one that I knew all too well, the voice that belonged to my shadow.

I sighed, my tail flicking in irritation. Not now.

^I just fed you the other day,^ I told it, thankful the others couldn't hear me.

^That was then. This is now. You haven't hunted in five days. I'm hungry.^

I rolled my eyes. Can't you wait until tonight?^

^No.^

"Of course not." I sighed.

The shadow, my ever-present companion and the source of my magic, but like all powerful things, it had its... quirks.

I had to periodically feed it once every few days, or else it wouldn't let me use its magic.

I wouldn't have a problem with it if it needed food or mana, but what it fed on was... something else.

Thankfully, my ever-hungry companion wasn't evil, but its diet was a little disturbing.

Relenting to its plea for sustenance, I slowed my steps, letting the others move ahead. No one noticed as I veered off the path, slipping into the shadows of the trees.

I'll catch up later, I thought.

The forest grew denser and darker as I wandered, ears twitching at every sound. I didn't have a destination, but the shadow was guiding me towards its prey.

Then, up ahead, I spotted movement near an old, barely visible path.

A young man, probably in his teens, dressed in ragged old leather armour, was rummaging through the pockets of an old woman's corpse.

A bandit, by the looks of it. His knife was still covered in blood, fresh from his work.

I sighed.

Better than nothing, I thought.

I stepped forward and began the hunt.

~~~~~~~~~

Orin's POV

"Hey, guys! I found it!" Araki said up ahead.

"Great! We will be over there soon," Zek called out, slightly embarrassed.

I smiled.

We had gone down a steep slope about 8 feet tall just now.

Me and Araki could get down just fine, but with Zek being so short, he didn't feel confident he could just jump down safely. So, I climbed back up, let him sit on my shoulder, and carried him down.

When we got over to Araki, I could see the Ember Grass. It looked just like normal grass, but it was a yellowish-orange and radiated heat.

I crouched low, plucking a few blades from the ground, and I felt warmer already.

We started to gather some and put it into pouches.

"You know, it's weird thinking about carrying everything. Somehow, I got so used to Jack holding onto everything in his ring so fast, I just feel weird now," I said.

Zek looked at me and said, "Well, you're not wrong. Storage magic items are extremely useful, but also very rare. Jack is lucky to have one such item. But we also shouldn't rely on Jack for everything. If we lean on him too much, we will only cause problems for all of us."

I nodded in agreement and we continued gathering the Ember Grass.

"That should be enough for now," I said, finishing stuffing them into a pouch.

I stood up and looked around.

Araki was busy examining a patch of strange-looking flowers, and Zek had already filled his bag with whatever he deemed useful. It wasn't a bad haul.

Then I noticed something.

"Where's Aaron?" I asked, glancing around.

Zek and Araki looked up and checked the surroundings, exchanging confused shrugs with confused expressions.

"He was with us just a moment ago. Wasn't he?" Araki asked.

Just as I was about to say something else, I saw something move, a shadow flicker at the edge of my vision. I turned, and there he was—Aaron, stepping out from between the trees like he'd never left.

"Where did you go?" I asked, frowning.

He shrugged. "Just looking around. Thought I saw something, but it was just a squirrel."

Something felt… off. His usual smirk was there, but... his eyes. Just for a second, I thought I saw them darken and turn black.

I paused and took a better look at him.

Then I noticed there was blood on the bottom of his shoe. It wasn't much, just a few spots like he stepped in it.

I narrowed my eyes. "What's that on your foot?"

Aaron looked down, then shrugged and rubbed his foot in the dirt. "Probably stepped on some berries."

I froze for a second and looked away.

'Berries. Right. I'm not stupid—I know what blood looked like,' I thought, with a concerned expression.

I glanced at him, and nothing about him seemed off, but I knew what I saw. He had blood on his foot and wasn't saying anything.

'If it was some animal he killed, he would have no reason to hide it and would have said so... like he has done so this far, but if it wasn't an animal or monster, then...' I shuddered at the thought.

I decided to stay quiet.

The way he was acting was making me uneasy. If Aaron didn't want to talk, forcing him wouldn't help.

I decided to ask Jack if he noticed something or if it was just me imagining things.

...

I hope it's my imagination.

~~~~~~~

3 hours later (Around 2 pm)

Orin's POV

The sun was still high in the sky as we entered Raventhorn.

The streets bustled with adventurers returning from or going on their quests, merchants calling out from their stalls, and citizens going around shopping or buying lunch. The air smelled of roasted meat, fresh bread, and the distinct iron scent of the blacksmiths at work.

When we entered the guild building, we were met with the smell of food and beer, as, despite it still being the middle of the day, people still loved their booze.

I looked around and noticed Jack and Ark sitting at a somewhat secluded table off to the side.

But unsurprisingly, Jack noticed us first. He waved at us to come over before taking another sip of his drink. Ark, sitting beside him, looked noticeably better than when we had left earlier. His usual nervous energy was still there, but something about him seemed more at ease.

Plus, he had his ears and tail out this time.

We made our way over, taking our seats at the table.

"How'd your quests go?" Jack asked casually, setting his drink down.

"Nothing too exciting," I replied, stretching my arms. "Just a bunch of herb-gathering and slime-hunting. Oh, and we managed to find some Embergrass."

Jack raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing.

Zek, noticing the look, tilted his head. "What's that face for? Embergrass is a common alchemy ingredient."

Jack looked at Zek and asked, "Was it located around the southwest trail?"

Everyone paused and thought, but Aaron spoke up. "Yes, it was. I saw it just before we found the grass. Why?"

Jack simply shrugged. "If you didn't notice anything unusual, then it's probably fine. Just hand in the grass soon... and take a shower after."

He looked away and muttered something else under his breath, too quiet for most of us to hear. But Ark, sitting beside him, and with his wolf ears, could. Ark stiffened slightly, his ears twitching.

Curious, I leaned forward. "What was that?"

Jack shook his head dismissively. "Nothing. Just... the smell lingers."

I frowned as we didn't smell anything when we picked it but decided to let it go for now.

"How are you feeling, Ark?" Araki asked.

Ark shyly said, "I'm better, thanks. Jack was a big help... the whole ordeal was... a bit much," and lowered his head, embarrassed.

I smiled, seeing him open up more to us.

Curious, Zek asked, "Sorry to ask, but was what Jack said earlier today true when he confronted Rook? That you had a charm to hide your ears and tail?"

Ark stiffened for a second and looked at Jack.

Jack placed a hand on his shoulder, and I could feel the air around us shift, like before. I looked around and realized Jack had put up yet another soundproof barrier.

'How is he able to do this so much with no incantation?' I thought.

Jack smiled and said, "No, I improvised that when Rook got here. The real reason is that Ark's family has the rare trait of being able to hide their animal features, and after... well, after experiencing racism on his way here, he found it easier to hide them."

Zek was speechless as he thought about the possibilities, the implication that meant, the complexity of that plan, and the 'improvised enchantment' Jack had made.

Araki, Aaron, and I were also shocked but calmer as we fully understood what some people thought about other races like Orcs, Lizardmen, and Beastfolk.

Jack coughed and snapped us all back to reality. "Okay, well now that has been cleared up, why don't you guys hand in your stuff so you can rank up?"

We all nodded in excitement, but I paused and remembered what I wanted to talk to Jack about.

I hesitated before turning back to Jack. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Jack glanced up, curious. "Sure. What's up?"

I motioned for him to follow me and led him to a quieter corner of the guild hall.

Jack leaned against the wall, even more curious, with his arms crossed. "So? What's on your mind?" he said as he set up another soundproof barrier.

'I need to ask him how he does that.' I thought before getting to the important matter.

I hesitated, suddenly unsure of how to phrase it. "It's about Aaron."

Jack stiffened slightly. The change was subtle, but it was enough to confirm my suspicions—he already knew something.

"What about him?" Jack asked, his voice even but serious.

I took a deep breath. "Earlier, when we were out in the forest, Aaron wandered off and didn't say anything to the rest of us. Then when he came back, he had blood on his boot. He said it was berries, but… I know what blood looks like."

I paused to let Jack understand. Then I hesitated and said, "Then I noticed his eyes. His eyes… for a second, I swear I saw them go dark like something passed over them."

Jack's expression didn't change, but the air around us grew heavier. The dim lantern light cast deep shadows across his face, making his brown eyes gleam unnaturally.

I swallowed hard.

"I think…" I hesitated, then forced myself to say it. "I think Aaron might be possessed by something."

Jack didn't move, didn't speak, he simply stared at me. Then, without warning, an overwhelming pressure crashed down on me.

But it wasn't pushing down, it was more like I was being squeezed from all sides—a presence that not even the Hellhound alpha could contend with.

Then it clicked.

This… this was Jack's aura.

And it was suffocating.

Jack leaned in slightly, his voice low and calm, carrying a weight that made my blood run cold.

"Stay out of it, Orin."

I forced my head up, barely managing to meet his gaze. "Jack, if something's wrong, we need to-"

"No." Jack cut me off, his voice sharper this time. "You don't understand what you're dealing with. If you poke the bear before you're ready, you'll only make things worse. Do you get what I'm saying?"

I clenched my fists. "But—"

"I'm working on it," Jack continued, his tone firm but measured. "I know more about Aaron's situation than you think. I am probably the only one who can deal with this, and I know for a fact this isn't something you can fix."

He finally stepped back, releasing the pressure of his aura. The sudden relief made my legs weak, and I barely kept myself from stumbling.

Jack turned away, already walking back toward the others. Over his shoulder, he added, "Just don't get involved. Trust me. This mountain isn't one I want you to climb... not until you're ready."

I stood frozen for a moment, my heart still pounding in my chest.

Zek was right. Jack's aura was way stronger than I had realized.

And if even he was treating Aaron's situation with caution…

I shuddered.

Something was definitely wrong.

But for the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to know the truth.