The shadow Hunter
1402 Words
The creature stepped fully into the archive hall.
Everything about it felt wrong.
Its body was shaped like a man, but its limbs were too long, its shoulders too wide, its fingers ending in curved claws that scraped against the stone floor as it moved. Dark fur crept along its arms and neck like shadows trying to swallow its skin.
But the worst part was its eyes.
Deep violet.
Cold.
Hungry.
They fixed on the crown sitting on my head with disturbing fascination.
“Well,” the creature repeated, voice smooth and almost amused. “Looks like we found the Queen.”
Behind it, more shapes moved in the darkness of the hall.
Heavy footsteps.
Low growls.
The Alpha stepped forward immediately, positioning himself between the creature and me.
“You will stop there.”
The shadow creature tilted its head slightly.
“Ah.”
Its smile widened, revealing long, sharp teeth.
“The Alpha.”
It sniffed the air slowly.
“I wondered if you would be here.”
The guardian wolf beside me growled, the sound deep enough to vibrate through the vault walls.
Shadow Hunters.
The name echoed inside my mind like a warning.
“What are they?” I whispered.
Ancient predators.
The creature heard the whisper.
Its violet eyes flicked toward the guardian.
“Well, well,” it said softly. “The old guard dog is still alive.”
The guardian bared its teeth.
I should have killed your kind when I had the chance.
The creature chuckled.
“You tried.”
Behind it, three more shadow figures stepped into the doorway.
Each one larger and more monstrous than the last.
The Alpha’s warriors were nowhere in sight.
Which meant one thing.
They had already fought through the pack defenses.
My chest tightened.
“How did they get inside the territory?” I asked quietly.
Karthis answered from behind us.
“I opened the gates.”
The Alpha’s head snapped toward him.
“You betrayed the entire pack.”
Karthis shrugged lightly.
“The pack will survive.”
His gaze slid toward me.
“But she will not.”
The shadow creature laughed softly.
“You always did know how to make an entrance, old man.”
Karthis inclined his head.
“I keep my promises.”
The creature’s violet eyes returned to me.
“And you promised us the Queen.”
The Alpha’s voice dropped into a dangerous growl.
“She is not yours to claim.”
The shadow hunter smiled.
“We will see.”
Then it moved.
Fast.
Faster than anything I had ever seen.
The Alpha reacted instantly, shifting mid-motion. His body twisted into his massive wolf form as he intercepted the attack with a thunderous crash.
Claws collided.
The impact cracked the stone floor beneath them.
The other shadow hunters rushed forward.
The guardian wolf leapt to meet them.
Silver power exploded from its body as it slammed into the two largest creatures.
The vault erupted into chaos.
Magic and claws tore through the chamber.
The Alpha’s wolf form was massive, his black fur bristling as he fought the lead hunter. They moved so quickly their bodies blurred across the vault floor.
Claws slashed.
Teeth snapped.
Stone shattered under the force of their attacks.
The guardian tore into one of the shadow hunters, its ancient strength forcing the creature backward.
But there were too many.
Karthis stepped back calmly, watching the battle unfold with cold satisfaction.
The other elders stayed behind him, clearly unwilling to fight the creatures they had summoned.
I felt the crown pulse on my head again.
Energy surged through my veins.
The guardian’s voice echoed urgently inside my mind.
You must control the power.
“I don’t know how!”
You do.
“I don’t!”
Another shadow hunter lunged toward me.
The Alpha saw it coming.
His wolf slammed into the creature midair, knocking it across the vault.
But the distraction gave the leader an opening.
The shadow hunter’s claws slashed across the Alpha’s shoulder.
Blood sprayed across the stone floor.
My heart stopped.
“Alpha!”
He snarled in pain but did not retreat.
Instead he drove forward again, crashing into the creature with brutal force.
The shadow hunter laughed.
“You fight well.”
Its claws slammed into the Alpha’s chest, forcing him back several feet.
“But not well enough.”
The guardian roared as another hunter raked its side with glowing purple claws.
Dark energy burned through its silver fur.
Their claws are poisoned, the guardian warned.
Panic tightened my chest.
“If they kill you”
They will come for you next.
Karthis clapped slowly from the back of the vault.
“This is far more entertaining than I expected.”
My gaze snapped toward him.
“You did this.”
“Yes.”
“You doomed the entire pack.”
Karthis’s smile faded slightly.
“No.”
His eyes hardened.
“I saved it.”
Anger surged through me.
The crown pulsed violently in response.
Golden energy flared around my body.
Karthis noticed immediately.
His expression changed.
“Careful.”
I stepped toward him.
“You said the crown brings tyranny.”
Golden light gathered in my hands.
“But all I see is you trying to murder your own people.”
Karthis’s voice dropped.
“You don’t understand the history.”
“Then explain it!”
Another violent crash echoed behind me as the Alpha slammed into the wall.
The shadow hunter’s claws were already rising again.
Something inside me snapped.
The power surged forward before I could stop it.
Golden energy burst from my hands like lightning.
It struck the shadow hunter square in the chest.
The creature flew backward across the vault, crashing through one of the stone pillars.
The entire chamber froze.
The Alpha stared at me in shock.
The other shadow hunters hissed in fury.
The guardian’s voice filled my mind with fierce pride.
Yes.
Karthis looked uneasy.
“That power should not exist.”
The leader of the shadow hunters slowly rose from the rubble.
Golden burns spread across its chest.
It touched the wound curiously.
Then it laughed.
“That actually hurt.”
Its violet eyes gleamed with excitement now.
“Good.”
The creature stepped forward again.
“I was hoping this would be interesting.”
The other hunters regrouped around it.
Four monstrous figures now circled the vault.
The Alpha shifted back into human form briefly, blood running down his shoulder.
He looked at me.
“You need to run.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“This isn’t a debate.”
Another shadow hunter lunged.
The guardian intercepted it with a brutal tackle.
But the leader remained focused on me.
“The crown suits you.”
It took another step closer.
“But we cannot allow you to keep it.”
My heart pounded.
“Why?”
The creature’s smile turned dark.
“Because if the Queen returns”
Its violet eyes gleamed.
“our war begins again.”
The words sent a chill through the vault.
The Alpha frowned.
“What war?”
The shadow hunter laughed softly.
“The one your council buried in lies.”
Karthis snapped suddenly.
“Enough talking.”
He raised his hand.
The elders behind him began chanting again.
Dark magic surged through the air.
The guardian’s head snapped toward them.
No!
The stone beneath the vault floor cracked again.
But this time the sound came from deeper below.
Something massive shifted beneath the archive hall.
The shadow hunter paused.
“what is that?”
The guardian’s voice turned grim.
The vault was not only protecting the crown.
My stomach dropped.
“What else was it protecting?”
The guardian looked at me.
Something worse.
The floor suddenly shattered.
A massive claw burst through the stone between us.
Black scales.
Longer than a sword.
The entire chamber shook violently.
The shadow hunters leapt backward in shock.
Even Karthis stumbled.
A second claw ripped through the floor.
Then a massive reptilian head forced its way up from the darkness.
Glowing red eyes opened slowly.
Ancient.
Furious.
The guardian whispered in dread.
The prison has broken.
The Alpha stared at the monster rising from the ground.
“What is that?”
The guardian’s answer came like a death sentence.
The Dragon of the Crown.
The creature roared.
And the entire archive hall collapsed around us.
- Writer
