Chased by Shadows

Volume I: Children of the Earth

Chapter 16: Chased by Shadows

Alozie's legs burned with every step, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he and Olaedo tore through the tangled underbrush of the Forest of Shadows. The air around them was thick, stifling, and heavy with the presence of unseen forces. Shadows flickered in the corners of their vision, and the trees seemed to twist and sway unnaturally, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal hands.

Behind them, the sound of the creature's approach was unmistakable. It was no longer the faint rumble they had first heard—it was closer now, a deep, otherworldly growl that reverberated through the earth and rattled their bones. Alozie didn't dare look back. He could feel the dark energy emanating from the thing chasing them, as if the air itself was alive with malice.

"Faster!" Olaedo urged, her voice tight with fear and determination.

Alozie pushed himself harder, but the forest seemed to conspire against them. Thick roots snaked across the ground, tripping him up and slowing their pace. The shadows seemed to grow darker with every step, and the temperature had dropped to a chilling cold. The further they ran, the more disoriented Alozie felt, as if the forest was bending time and space around them, warping reality.

"It's close!" Olaedo gasped, glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide with terror. She had seen something—a flicker of movement in the darkness. Something enormous.

A low, guttural growl echoed through the forest, and the sound of heavy footsteps crashing through the underbrush sent a wave of terror through them both.

Alozie could feel the creature's malevolent presence, growing stronger with each passing second. It was hunting them, and the forest was its domain. The twisting paths, the thick shadows, the unnatural cold—it all seemed to be part of the creature's power.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake violently, throwing them off balance. Alozie stumbled and fell to his knees, his hands sinking into the cold, damp earth. The forest roared around him, the trees swaying and groaning as if alive. His heart raced, and his mind screamed at him to get up, to run—but the ground was shifting under him, twisting and turning in impossible ways.

Olaedo grabbed his arm, pulling him back to his feet. "We can't stop!" she yelled, her voice barely audible over the deafening rumble of the earth.

Alozie staggered to his feet, and together they ran, stumbling through the forest as the ground continued to tremble beneath them. Behind them, the creature let out a terrible, bone-chilling roar, and the shadows seemed to thicken, coiling around the trees like serpents.

"We need to find higher ground," Alozie shouted, his voice tight with panic. "The spirits said the Iroko stands at the center of the forest—it has to be close!"

But the forest gave no indication of how far they were from their destination. Every tree looked the same, every shadow seemed alive. The sense of being watched grew unbearable, and the air was so thick with tension it felt like it was pressing in on them.

Suddenly, the path ahead opened into a small clearing, and for a moment, they both hesitated. The open space seemed too perfect, too inviting—a trap, perhaps? But the sound of the creature crashing through the underbrush behind them left no time for second-guessing.

They bolted into the clearing, their eyes scanning desperately for any sign of safety, any landmark that could lead them to the Great Iroko. But there was nothing—only more twisted trees and thick undergrowth. And then, in the distance, a flicker of something—something glowing faintly.

"There!" Alozie pointed, his voice filled with hope and desperation.

Without a word, they ran toward the faint glow, their legs burning with exhaustion. The creature was right behind them now—its presence felt like a thick, suffocating fog, and every breath felt labored as if the forest itself were closing in on them. But the glow ahead grew brighter, cutting through the darkness like a beacon.

Just as they neared the source of the light, the ground beneath them gave way.

Alozie cried out as he and Olaedo tumbled into a pit, the earth swallowing them whole. They hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from their lungs. Above them, the edges of the pit loomed, the creature's shadow stretching over the opening like a dark cloud.

Alozie struggled to his feet, his chest heaving with exertion. The creature was close—too close. Its growl echoed down into the pit, reverberating off the walls like the voice of death itself. But as he turned to check on Olaedo, something caught his eye—something strange about the ground beneath their feet.

The pit wasn't just a hole in the earth—it was lined with smooth, ancient stones, each one etched with markings that seemed to glow faintly in the dark. The light they had seen earlier wasn't from the forest, it was coming from this place. There was power here—old, sacred power.

"Alozie!" Olaedo's voice was filled with wonder and fear as she pointed to the center of the pit.

There, half-buried in the earth, stood a massive tree root—thick, gnarled, and pulsating with a faint, ethereal light. The root stretched out in every direction, its tendrils weaving through the stone walls and into the earth beyond. It was unmistakable—the root of the Great Iroko.

Alozie's heart pounded in his chest. They had found it. The heart of the prophecy was here—buried deep beneath the earth, within the roots of the sacred tree.

But there was no time to celebrate.

Above them, the creature let out a deafening roar, its massive, shadowy form filling the opening of the pit. It had found them.

Alozie and Olaedo scrambled to their feet, backing away as the creature began to descend into the pit, its dark tendrils reaching out for them.

"We have to fight it," Olaedo said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. She brandished her spear, her stance ready for battle.

Alozie's mind raced. They couldn't defeat this creature—not with weapons. It was born of dark magic, summoned by the king's sorcerers. But they were standing in the heart of the prophecy, the very place where the spirits' power was strongest.

"The tree," Alozie said, his voice filled with urgency. "The Iroko's power is here. We can use it."

Olaedo glanced at him, her eyes wide with understanding. "How?"

Alozie didn't have an answer. He could feel the power of the Great Iroko all around them, but he didn't know how to tap into it. His mind raced, searching for a solution as the creature drew closer, its hollow eyes glowing with malevolent intent.

Then, in a flash of clarity, Alozie remembered the words of Elder Nkem: The heart of the prophecy is the bond between the living and the spirits, the connection that holds our world in balance.

He dropped to his knees, placing his hands on the glowing root of the Iroko. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his spirit, calling to the ancestors, to the spirits of the land, to the power that flowed through the earth itself.

"Spirits of our ancestors," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I call upon you to protect us. Help me—help us—restore the balance."

For a moment, there was nothing. Only the sound of the creature's growl, and the suffocating weight of its presence bearing down on them.

And then, the ground beneath him began to hum.

The roots of the Iroko pulsed with light, the markings on the stone walls glowing brighter and brighter. A wave of energy surged through the pit, shaking the earth and sending a powerful force rippling outward. Alozie could feel the power of the spirits coursing through him—wild, ancient, and untamed.

The creature let out a terrible screech as the light enveloped it, its shadowy form writhing in agony. The dark magic that held it together began to unravel, its tendrils of shadow dissipating into the air like smoke. It tried to claw its way toward them, but the light from the Iroko's roots was too strong.

With one final roar, the creature dissolved into nothingness, the darkness vanishing from the pit.

Alozie collapsed to the ground, his body trembling with exhaustion. The power of the spirits slowly faded, leaving the pit bathed in a soft, glowing light.

Olaedo knelt beside him, her face a mix of relief and awe. "You did it," she whispered. "You called on the spirits."

Alozie shook his head, struggling to catch his breath. "We did it," he said softly. "The spirits were with us."

But as they sat there in the heart of the prophecy, Alozie knew their journey was far from over. The creature was gone, but the king still sought to control the prophecy. And the Iroko's power—the heart of the prophecy—was more dangerous than they could have imagined.

They had found the Great Iroko. But the true battle was only just beginning.