The Cover Of Dark (7)

"The scouting party of Eldermoor was not wrong; Darius had gone inside Silvershade Forest. This was so he could attempt to rest and use the environment against his enemies.

A crucial factor of how an assassin functioned was based on the environment and could decide success or failure.

One undeniable fact about dark magic wielders is their heightened power during nighttime. Their magic becomes concentrated, enhancing the effectiveness of their abilities. Furthermore, some techniques are exclusively effective under the cover of darkness.

Aether particles in the air serve as a means by which magicians replenish their magical energy, apart from the slower passive regeneration. These particles also play a role in fortifying the Aetherheart, its arteries, and the intertwining aetherveins that intermingle with the body's regular veins. By enhancing these conduits, a mage can achieve improved magic flow, resulting in faster and more efficient casting.

Another beautiful part of the Aether around the world is the way it benefits each magic user differently. For example, a fire wielder finds more concentration of aether particles for themselves in a place filled with fire. Similarly, Darius finds more concentrated particles for him at nighttime, and the cycle is similar for all 17 known elements of magic.

Upon awakening, most magic users are endowed with specific abilities. For instance, water magic users often gain the capacity to breathe underwater. In the case of Dark magic users, including Darius, their awakened abilities encompass night vision and the innate skill to conceal their presence from fellow magic users without exertion. Ordinarily, magical energy from another individual can be detected once they approach a certain proximity. Detecting a dark magic user, however, poses a formidable challenge, requiring exceptional strength and abilities. This elusive skill is exceedingly lethal and ranks among the most dreaded awakening abilities.

Each user of magic is able to at the very least manipulate their respective elements on a basic level. No techniques are needed in this case.

"Why is this kid so special anyway?" Darius heard voices speak in the distance, awakening him from his trance just as he was about to rest.

Silvershade Forest got its name because when inside at nighttime, the moon would shine off the trees and leaves at specific points and make them look silver. It was also known for having quite large and thick trees with long branches. One of these branches was where Darius had perched himself to avoid detection.

Darius made sure to tie his horse quite a distance from him, so he didn't leave any hints to his location.

"I don't know, Alex, stop complaining. He's special enough to bring Captain Levy out of training," the other one said.

Darius listened closely as they walked closer. Unfortunately, the one who complained didn't say anything else, and they continued looking for him.

Darius was waiting for the right moment.

"He has to be here somewhere, right? He can't possibly avoid all of us. We number in the 30s. Hellooo Kyle, I'm talking to you," Alex said. But the second he turned around was the last breathing moment he lived.

His duo, Kyle, had been brutally murdered and placed in a nearby bush where Alex would now join him. Darius came to realize that if most of them didn't die now, they would keep chasing him forever. And so, it came to this bloody conclusion.

The cover of night remained Darius' best friend; their torches and oil lamps did nothing but give him a signal of their position. Within approximately 2 hours, Darius deftly maneuvered through the forest, halving their ranks and silently claiming 18 lives. He concealed the bodies and capitalized on fleeting moments of where soldiers separated, a strategy that yielded success despite its infrequent occurrence."

*Captain Levy's perspective*

Captain Levy watched as 2 of his men hauled 2 other dead bodies in front of him. He noticed that they died without much resistance or struggle and the killer had pierced straight through the neck on one, and the other had been stabbed near the armpit to pierce through his heart.

'The artistic assassination work of House Creed it seems. What an interesting fellow,' thought Levy.

"Sound the horn; we need everyone back here before he picks us all off," said Levy.

"But captain... what about the bodies? Should we bury them?" said one of the soldiers hesitantly, nervous about Levy's reaction.

For the first time, Levy looked him in the eye as if to finally recognize him as a human being. Many magicians looked down on regular human beings, seeing them as lesser and insignificant. In many ways, Levy was also like this.

"We have no time, soldier. Sound the horn now so we can count our losses," said Levy, with extra emphasis on calling him a soldier, reminding him of his low position in the food chain and daring to question his orders.

The horn sounded throughout the forest, alerting all the soldiers still alive to return quickly and be alert.

"Light a fire; we camp here for the night. Staying together is the only way you won't get picked off," said Levy. He then sat down while the 2 soldiers with him lit a large fire. This also served as a beacon for the ones still retreating, so they knew where to go.

Darius understood they must have found at least one of the bodies and realized that splitting up was like offering their lives to him. Darius stalked the bonfire from a distance; about 17 of them remained, including Levy. Some had already fallen asleep; others were made to keep watch for danger or tend to the deer they had hunted, which was being roasted on the fire.

Darius maneuvered himself to a tree almost directly above the temporary camp they had made. Once again waiting for the optimal moment.

The silvershade of the moon created a glint on the knife, a dark figure falling from the trees above, victim in sight, feeling the wind on his face as he dropped, the black hole of his eyes waiting to draw another victim inside.

The knife plunged into a man's head. Those who knew him were well aware he had 3 kids and a wife. Unfortunately, the law of the world was only merciful to the strong and powerful.

Darius was in a state of focus, killing with what could only be described as elegance. The 7 people on the outskirts of the camp felt the cold iron of his blade; he was nearly seen but used some magic to blend himself and a very limp and lifeless body in the darkness, barely avoiding detection.

In a few minutes, Darius was able to enter the now unguarded tent, ending the lives of those asleep.

Now, a pressing challenge arose: the campfire's brilliance cast too much light, exposing the soldiers to one another's view. Darius couldn't approach without detection, which meant he'd have to face direct confrontation.

Luring them away risked the loss of surprise, and the odds of drawing them from the safety of the fire's glow for a minor distraction were slim.

He was left with 2 choices: assassinating the soldiers and facing the magic user who sat separately from the soldiers, or attempting to kill the magic user first. But if it failed, he'd also have to deal with the 4 soldiers at the fire."