Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Secrets Beneath the Stone

The storm raged on as Draven and his forces regrouped atop the ridge. The swirling snow and biting wind made visibility almost impossible, but they had gained a momentary reprieve. The ambush had been brutal, but Draven's quick thinking had saved them from being completely overrun. Now, as they caught their breath and tended to the wounded, the cold reality of their situation settled in.

They were being hunted.

Aria sheathed her twin swords, her face pale but composed. The masked warrior she and Draven had felled lay motionless in the snow at their feet, the eerie green glow that had animated the figure now gone. Draven studied the body for a moment, his breath still coming in short gasps from the battle.

"They're not human," Aria said, her voice quiet but firm. "Not anymore, at least."