The Crimson Dawn

Chapter 1

“BARRETT!! DISTRACT IT SO I CAN GET SOME HIGH GROUND!!!”

Gedeon yelled, rolling out of the way as the massive Minotaur charged at him, slamming into the wall with a thunderous crash.

Barrett dashed into the middle of the room, drawing the beast’s attention.

“HEY, OVER HERE!!! LET’S SEE IF YOU HAVE MAN OR BULL BALLS!!”

The Minotaur staggered and turned toward Barrett, roaring with fury as it lifted its warhammer, ready for battle.

“Why would he want to know what kind of balls it has?”

Derick asked, tugging gold from the Minotaur’s chest.

“Honestly, I stopped questioning Barrett eons ago. Now I just nod and smile when he talks.”

Aydin said, aiming his Iron Shooter in one hand while firing fireballs from the other at the flying imps attacking them.

Barrett clashed weapons with the Minotaur, the sounds of their weapons striking each other echoing like lightning cracks. The Minotaur knocked Barrett to the ground with a brutal blow to the face. His great axe flew from his hands as the Minotaur raised its hammer to deliver a deadly strike.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle sliced through the air, and the Minotaur howled in pain as a dagger slashed across its face. The dagger retracted back to Stella, who taunted,

“COME AND GET ME, b***h!”

She sprinted off, leading the beast away.

The Minotaur roared and gave chase, swinging its hammer with terrifying force.

Ari, in her massive bear form, charged forward, slamming into the Minotaur and sending it crashing into a boulder.

Gedeon quickly scaled a nearby cliff and began shooting arrows into the beast’s thick hide. The Minotaur roared again in pain, swatting Ari away like a fly. Ari shifted into a small fox and darted in the opposite direction, daring the Minotaur to follow.

“Are you two almost done!?” Stella called from the doorway of the treasure room.

“Yeah, just need to find the… HAHA, found it! The amulet!”

Derick grinned, holding up a glimmering amulet, but as soon as he grasped it, the Minotaur stopped in its tracks. It turned to face them, eyes burning with fury, and charged again.

“GUYS, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. GET OUT QUICKLY!” Gedeon shouted, panic creeping into his voice.

Stella’s heart raced as she saw the Minotaur barreling toward them, its bloodshot eyes locked on her. Without thinking, she sprinted forward.

“STELLA!!!” Gedeon yelled, but she didn’t look back.

Stella slid beneath the Minotaur’s legs, daggers flashing as they sliced across its massive ankles. The beast staggered, but it didn’t fall. It continued its mad charge, aiming straight for Aydin and Derick.

“RAPH!! HIT HIM!!”

Raphael leapt from the cliff above, chanting a divine incantation. A brilliant beam of light descended with him, striking the Minotaur in the heart. The beast let out one final roar before its body split in two, collapsing to the ground.

Ari walked up beside Raphael, her lip bleeding from where the Minotaur had struck her. Raphael gently placed a gloved hand over her wound and healed it with a soft murmur.

“There, good as new.”

Ari blushed and nodded,

“Thank you.”

Aydin ran to Stella, concern etched across his face.

“Ella, you okay?” he asked, carefully brushing her hair behind her ear.

She smiled softly,

“I’m fine.”

“That was f*****g stupid. Who in their right mind would charge a Minotaur head-on? f*****g psycho!”

Gedeon shouted, kicking one of the Minotaur’s severed halves.

Stella rolled her eyes and approached the beast’s lifeless body,

“It wasn’t going down no matter how many times we hit him.”

Derick walked up behind her, his bag jingling with coins.

“Well, it’s dead now, and we have what we came for. Let’s take it back to LaBlanc. I could use a drink and a soft woman. Stella?”

Stella raised an eyebrow,

“I’d rather sleep with the Minotaur.”

Derick gasped in mock horror.

“That hurt. I’m telling you, one of these days, you’re going to give in to my charm.”

He shot her a playful smolder, but Stella just scoffed.

“So what’s so special about this amulet? It looks cheap and generic.”

Stella took the amulet from Derick, and as soon as her fingers brushed its surface, a blinding light filled the room. She quickly shielded her eyes with her arms. When she lowered them, everything had changed.

She was alone, standing in a vast, oppressive darkness.

“Guys?! Where did you go?”

She called out, but there was no response.

“Aydin?! Barrett?! Ari?!”

Nothing.

“Derick?! Raphael?! Gedeon?! Stop f*****g around!”

Stella’s voice grew more desperate as she tried reaching out to Gedeon telepathically. But something blocked their connection.

“Stella…”

A cold, echoing voice came from behind her. She spun around to see a hooded figure cloaked in black.

A chill ran down her spine, and she instinctively reached for her daggers—but they weren’t there. The figure was unmoving, its face hidden beneath the shadow of its hood.

“Who are you?” Stella demanded, trying to sound confident, but her voice trembled.

The figure’s voice came as an eerie hiss,

“In due time, my little pet. In due time. But there is one thing you can do for me… Ask LaBlanc about The BlackMoon Prophecy.”

The figure cackled darkly before vanishing into the darkness. Stella blinked, and when she opened her eyes again, she was back in the treasure room, surrounded by her friends, all of them looking at her with concern.

“Are you okay?” Ari asked, helping Stella to her feet.

“What happened? Are you hurt?” Raphael asked, nudging Ari aside, his brow furrowed in worry.

Stella waved them off.

“I’m fine. Let’s just get this stupid amulet to LaBlanc. I want to get rid of it, get our money, and drink.”

She handed the amulet back to Derick, who looked at her with concern, but said nothing, instead slipping it into his pouch.

“You heard the woman. Let’s go get paid!”

Derick grinned and turned to gather his things.

Aydin and Gedeon exchanged a glance. They both knew something was wrong.

“What happened?” Gedeon asked, his tone soft but serious, sensing Stella’s unease.

In a low voice, Stella replied,

“Have you guys ever heard of The BlackMoon Prophecy?”

Aydin’s face twitched ever so slightly, but neither Gedeon nor Stella noticed.

Gedeon shrugged,

“There are so many, I’ve lost track. Why?”

Stella hesitated, then shared the details of her encounter with the hooded figure, and how it had mentioned the prophecy.

“Well, it seems we should hurry to LaBlanc then.”

Gedeon said, grabbing his gear.

Aydin picked up Stella’s pack, and when she reached for it, he pulled it back and slung it over his shoulder.

“No, allow me.”

Stella couldn’t help but smile.

“Still a gentleman even though we’ve been away from noble civilization for years. Thank you.”

Aydin’s face reddened slightly, and when she kissed him on the cheek, his heart skipped a beat.

The group trudged back toward town, the soft glow of the setting sun casting long shadows across the cobbled streets. The amulet, pulsing faintly with an eerie green light, rested in Derick’s pouch. Despite its ominous aura, they had succeeded in retrieving it, and everyone was eager to claim their reward.

LaBlanc’s shop sat tucked away in a dimly lit corner of the town’s marketplace, the building weathered with age and shrouded in mystery. Its wooden sign swung lazily in the evening breeze, the name “LaBlanc’s Curiosities” etched in faded gold.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of old parchment, dried herbs, and something metallic. LaBlanc himself was an enigmatic figure, a wiry man with sharp, almost hawk-like features. His pale skin was contrasted by a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard, and his piercing grey eyes seemed to see far more than they let on. He wore a long, dark coat adorned with intricate embroidery—symbols and runes of unknown origin—and his fingers were adorned with a variety of ornate rings that glinted in the low light.

As the group entered, LaBlanc looked up from an ancient tome spread across his cluttered counter. His expression shifted from mild irritation to curiosity as his gaze fell upon the glowing amulet.

“You actually retrieved it,” LaBlanc murmured, his voice smooth but edged with a faint hint of skepticism. He reached out, carefully taking the artifact from Dericks pouch as though it might explode at any moment. His fingers traced the intricate carvings with a practiced precision.

“You’ll find the payment in full,” he continued, motioning to a small chest resting on the counter. It contained an assortment of gold coins and jewels—far more than most of them had expected.

While the rest of the group eagerly collected their share and began to leave, Stella, Gedeon, and Aydin lingered near the counter. Stella, with her violet eyes gleaming in the dim light, glanced at her brother before stepping forward.

“Mr. LaBlanc,” she began, her tone cautious yet firm, “we need to ask you about the BlackMoon prophecy.”

LaBlanc froze for the briefest of moments, his fingers hovering over the amulet. It was so subtle that most would have missed it, but Gedeon’s sharp eyes caught the shift.

“The BlackMoon prophecy?” LaBlanc repeated, his voice calm yet carrying an undercurrent of feigned ignorance. He straightened, placing the amulet on a velvet cloth. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Aydin frowned, stepping closer. “You’re lying,” he said, his English accent cutting through the tension. “You paused. You know something.”

LaBlanc’s gaze flickered to Aydin, then to the twins. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I deal in artifacts, young ones, not in legends and old wives’ tales. If you’ve heard of such a prophecy, it’s best you forget it. Stories like that bring nothing but trouble.”

Stella narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. “But you do know something.”

“Enough!” LaBlanc snapped, his sharp tone startling them. “If you’re wise, you’ll leave this alone. I’ve told you what I know, which is nothing. Now, I suggest you take your payment and go.”

His demeanor shifted, his sharp grey eyes growing colder, a clear warning in his tone.

The trio exchanged wary glances but knew they wouldn’t get any more from him now. Begrudgingly, they turned to leave, though Stella glanced back at LaBlanc one last time, catching a flicker of something in his expression—fear or perhaps guilt.

As they stepped into the cool night air, Gedeon muttered, “He’s hiding something. I know it.”

“Of course he is,” Aydin replied, his jaw clenched. “We just need to figure out what.”

Stella looked up at the darkening sky, the faint outline of the moon barely visible. “We will,” she said quietly. “One way or another, we’ll find the truth.”