EV-STORY — Shadows of the October Moon

[Vincent Veneficus]

THE GATHERING OF THE BARK

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Vincent stood silently at the edge of an old grove, where the ancient willows loomed like towering sentinels over the land. Their silver-leafed branches swayed gently, a rhythmic rustling that carried with it the voices of the past and present—a soft symphony of whispers that only those attuned to magic could fully comprehend. These were no ordinary trees; the whispering willows held within them a potent energy, coveted by the Druids of Rhy'Din for their spells of protection.

The Dark Hunter was coming, a relentless predator of shadow, whose mere presence caused fear to ripple across the land. Vincent had heard the whispers of his arrival, carried not just by the trees, but by the winds, the stones, and the very fabric of magic that wove through reality. The Druids of Rhy'Din had asked for aid, knowing well of the Dark Hunter's power, but Vincent remained firm in his policy of non-intervention in such matters—at least directly.

It was not that he lacked the strength to face this Dark Hunter—on the contrary, Vincent had faced creatures far more formidable in his long existence. Yet, the balance of magic was fragile, and he had learned, through trial and tribulation, that his intervention often caused ripples that disturbed the natural order. The Druids, however, were bound to protect the land, and their magic would be essential in slowing the Hunter’s approach.

That is why Vincent now stood before the willows, preparing to gather the slivers of bark they required. The bark of these ancient trees was vital for the Druids' spells—infused with the echoes of the past, it strengthened their wards and rituals. But to take from these sacred beings was no simple task. The willows were alive in ways few understood, and to harm them would be to offend the very essence of nature.

Vincent knelt at the base of the first tree, his dark robes flowing around him like a pool of shadow. He closed his eyes and extended his hands, palms hovering just above the gnarled bark. Aethertongue, the visual language of the Aetherans, flickered to life around his fingers as he began to weave his spell. Symbols of respect, gentleness, and harmony floated in the air, shimmering with ethereal light. He whispered soft words of communion, drawing upon his deep connection to the elements, and asked the trees for their permission to take what was needed.

The whispers of the willows grew louder for a moment, as if in deep contemplation, and then softened, a gentle affirmation flowing through the grove. With a graceful movement, Vincent began to carefully lift the bark, channeling his magic so that the process would be painless for the trees. The bark peeled away in thin, spiraling slivers, floating into the air before gently settling into a pouch Vincent had conjured from the same magic.

Each tree in the grove was visited, and each offered its gift willingly, the process one of mutual respect. The trees, though ancient and wise, understood the need for balance and protection as well as Vincent did. By the time he finished, the pouch was full, and the grove hummed with a serene, harmonious energy, untouched and unhurt by the collection.

Vincent straightened and cast a final glance back at the willows, nodding in silent thanks. He then turned and stepped into the air, his form dissolving into shimmering mist as he teleported himself to the heart of the Druids’ domain. The familiar scent of damp earth and wood smoke greeted him as he materialized at the sacred circle, where the Druids were already preparing for the coming ritual.

One of the elder Druids, a woman draped in moss-green robes, approached him. Her eyes gleamed with gratitude, though her expression remained solemn.

"Vincent Veneficus," she said in a voice that carried the weight of centuries, "we thank you."

He handed her the pouch, filled with the precious bark. "You need only protect the land," Vincent replied. "The Hunter must be stopped, but the balance must also be maintained. I trust you will find the right way."

She nodded, taking the pouch with reverence. "The land will remember your aid, as will we."

Without another word, Vincent turned and vanished into the mists once more, his task completed. The Druids would perform their ritual, and the Dark Hunter would face resistance. Yet Vincent knew that his journey, his ceaseless quest to walk the line between action and restraint, would continue. He was, after all, the bridge between worlds, the protector of balance, even as the shadows lengthened and the whispers of the willows continued their eternal song.

[Vincent Veneficus]

PURIFYING THE FOREST

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The night sky was heavy with an unnatural stillness, the kind that smothered all sound and life beneath it. Even the stars seemed muted, their light dimmed by the creeping shadow that clung to the edges of the forest. Vincent stood at the threshold of this unnatural twilight, his piercing blue eyes scanning the landscape with quiet intensity. The Dark Hunter’s magic was already at work, corrupting the creatures that called this place home, warping them into twisted reflections of their former selves.

This was not Vincent’s world, and though the threat of the Dark Hunter was great, it was not his place to interfere directly. His principles demanded restraint, an adherence to the delicate balance between action and inaction. Yet, as the tainted creatures began to emerge from the woods—wolves with eyes gleaming red like burning coals, deer whose once gentle forms had been distorted into spindly, ravenous things—Vincent felt the familiar tug of responsibility.

It was not long ago that the Druids of Rhy’Din had reached out to him, not for battle, but for aid in cleansing the land. The Dark Hunter’s corruption was spreading, but it had not yet fully rooted itself in the soil. There was still time to save the wildlife from this creeping plague. The Druids had prepared their rituals, but they were not strong enough to purge the darkness entirely on their own. And so they had turned to Vincent and others in Rhy'Din, hoping that they could help restore balance.

But Vincent hesitated. It was not that he feared the task—his powers, inherited from his divine lineage, could easily purge the taint. No, his hesitation stemmed from a deeper place. He had long held to a strict code of non-intervention, knowing full well how easily even small actions could ripple outward, changing the course of events in ways unforeseen.

As he considered his course, the voice of the Unholy Mother whispered to him, as it often did in moments of doubt. She was a presence both comforting and unsettling, a guide who dwelled in the spaces between morality and necessity.

"This is not intervention, my child," her voice echoed in his mind, a soft blend of maternal warmth and primal authority. "Cleansing the animals is an act of preservation, not interference. You are not stopping the Dark Hunter, merely restoring the natural order. It is not a bridge too far, Vincent."

Her words resonated within him, cutting through his uncertainty. The Unholy Mother, guardian of ancient knowledge and forbidden power, had always urged him to embrace the full spectrum of his abilities, to walk the line between light and dark, action and inaction. If she believed this act would not disrupt the balance, Vincent could trust in that.

Resolved, Vincent stepped deeper into the forest, his long black robes sweeping silently across the forest floor. He extended his hand, and the air around him shimmered with magic as the Aethertongue symbols appeared once more, flowing from his fingers in glowing arcs. These symbols, ancient and fluid, represented the primal elements of nature—life, renewal, and purification. The magic Vincent wielded would not harm the creatures, only expel the darkness that had taken root within them.

The first creature to approach was a wolf, its body contorted, muscles rippling beneath skin that seemed too tight, too unnatural. Its eyes blazed with the malevolent red glow of the Dark Hunter’s magic. Vincent knelt, holding his hand out in a gesture of peace. His magic surged through the air, the symbols of Aethertongue wrapping around the wolf like a protective cocoon. The creature snarled, but as the magic enveloped it, the red glow faded from its eyes, replaced by a soft, natural amber. Its distorted form began to shift back, muscles relaxing, fur growing sleek and healthy once more.

Vincent smiled faintly as the wolf, now cleansed, blinked at him in confusion before turning and vanishing into the undergrowth. He moved deeper into the forest, repeating the process with each corrupted creature that crossed his path. Stags, hares, foxes, even birds that had fallen prey to the taint—all were restored to their natural forms with Vincent’s careful, deliberate magic.

The work was not quick, nor easy. The corruption had burrowed deep into the animals, and each cleansing required a careful balance of power. Too much force, and he risked harming the creatures; too little, and the darkness would not be fully purged. Vincent moved methodically, each act a small step toward restoring the delicate balance of this section of the forest.

Hours passed, and by the time the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, Vincent stood at the heart of the woods, surrounded by the now-healed creatures. The forest felt alive again, the oppressive silence replaced by the gentle sounds of nature reawakening. Birds sang from the trees, and the soft rustling of leaves in the wind felt like a sigh of relief.

But the work was not yet done. At the center of a small clearing stood the largest of the corrupted animals—a great stag, its antlers twisted into cruel, jagged spikes, its eyes burning with the malevolent glow of the Dark Hunter’s power. This creature had been touched more deeply by the corruption, and its gaze fixed on Vincent with an unnatural intensity.

Vincent closed his eyes, drawing on the full depth of his power. The air around him shimmered as the symbols of Aethertongue glowed brighter, forming a radiant pattern in the space between him and the stag. The magic surged outward, wrapping the creature in a glowing web of purification. For a moment, the stag fought against the spell, its body trembling as the darkness within it resisted. But Vincent held firm, his connection to the elements unshakable.

Finally, the dark magic began to unravel, dissolving like mist in the morning sun. The stag let out a low, mournful cry as its body returned to its natural form, its once twisted antlers now smooth and proud, its eyes clear and bright. The creature stood tall for a moment, then bowed its head to Vincent before bounding off into the woods.

Exhausted but content, Vincent allowed himself a moment to breathe, the forest now fully restored. The Druids would be pleased, and this small part of the land, at least for now, would be spared the worst of the Dark Hunter’s corruption.

As Vincent prepared to leave, the soft voice of the Unholy Mother whispered once more in his mind.

"Well done, my child. The balance is restored, and you have kept your vow. The animals are free, and the darkness has not yet claimed this place."

Vincent smiled faintly at her words, his heart lightened by the knowledge that, though he had walked the line once again, he had not crossed it. He was still the guardian of balance, the protector of worlds, even as the shadow of the Dark Hunter loomed ever closer on the horizon.

Without another word, Vincent turned and vanished into the mist, leaving the forest to its renewed life, knowing that his journey would continue, as it always had.

[Vincent Veneficus]

THE GROWING SIGNS

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Vincent moved silently through the undergrowth of the ancient forest, his footsteps barely disturbing the earth beneath him. The air was heavy with the scent of damp moss and pine, the canopy above so thick that only thin shafts of light managed to pierce through, illuminating the ferns and wildflowers scattered at the forest floor. Though he had walked these woods many times, a sense of unease prickled at the back of his mind, a subtle shift in the magic that pervaded the area.

It wasn’t the first time Vincent had felt the change. Over the past few days, the forest seemed different, as though an invisible presence had begun to settle over the land. Even the animals had grown wary—creatures that once moved freely through the woods were now keeping to the shadows, their eyes glowing warily from the underbrush as they watched Vincent pass.

The source of this disturbance had eluded him, but now, as he ventured deeper into the heart of the forest, he began to understand why. His sharp gaze caught sight of something strange carved into the bark of a towering oak tree ahead—a faint, baleful glow emanated from deep runes etched into its trunk. The runes pulsed with an eerie light, cold and watchful, and as Vincent approached, the sensation of being observed intensified.

He stepped closer, his fingers brushing lightly against the bark just below the runes. The symbols were not of any language he recognized from his studies, not even the ancient tongues of Aetheran lore. Yet there was something familiar in their form, something that spoke to deeper forces—primal, ancient, and dangerous. The glow they emitted wasn’t warm; rather, it was a cold, oppressive light that seemed to pull at the edges of his consciousness, as though trying to draw him into its mystery.

Vincent’s hand hovered over the runes, feeling the subtle magic coursing through them. They were not benign markings left to guide travelers through the dense woods. No, these were far more sinister in nature. The baleful light, though giving off no heat, felt almost like a gaze, as if something on the other side of the symbols was watching—waiting. These were windows, of a sort. Portals, perhaps, into another world, or into the unknown he thought.

"Not of this realm," Vincent murmured to himself, his voice barely audible in the thick silence of the woods.

He withdrew a small notebook from the folds of his dark robes and began to carefully sketch the runes, ensuring every detail was precise. Each stroke of his quill was deliberate, capturing the strange angles and curves of the symbols. As he worked, the oppressive feeling of being watched grew stronger, but Vincent was used to such sensations. His connection to the arcane had long made him attuned to the unseen forces of the multiverse. It would take far more than a watchful presence to unsettle him.

When he finished recording the first set of runes, Vincent took a step back, observing the tree from a distance. The cold light still pulsed faintly, its baleful glow giving the surrounding area a strange, ethereal hue. Whatever these runes were, they were not natural to the forest. And judging by the way the magic around them felt, they were recent. A few weeks at most.

He continued deeper into the woods, moving from tree to tree, and each time he did, he found more of the runes. Every hundred yards or so, another tree bore the same strange carvings, each with the same pulsing glow and the same eerie sense of being observed. They weren’t placed at random. Vincent quickly realized that the runes formed a pattern—an intricate web, almost like a net, spread throughout the forest. Whoever—or whatever—had carved these symbols had done so with purpose.

A darker thought crossed Vincent’s mind as he recorded the location of each tree. Was this a barrier of some kind? Or worse, an anchor, a tether between this world and another? He had encountered such things before, in his travels across the multiverse. Portals were often used by those with malevolent intent to tether one realm to another, to open doorways through which unspeakable things might cross.

If that was the case here, the Druids of Rhy’Din needed to know immediately. The forest was their sacred domain, a place of life and magic, and these runes represented a threat not only to the land but possibly to the entire region. The Dark Hunter’s magic had already tainted parts of the wilds, and now these marks suggested a new layer of danger—one that Vincent could not afford to ignore, even with his policy of non-intervention.

He reached the last marked tree, a towering beech whose bark glistened with the same cold light as the others. As he sketched the final rune and marked its location on his map, Vincent paused, feeling a subtle shift in the air around him. The wind had stilled, and a deep, resonant hum filled the forest, almost too faint to hear. It wasn’t coming from the trees or the ground, but from the runes themselves, as though the symbols were resonating with some distant force.

He stepped back, his keen eyes narrowing as he scanned the forest. The hum grew louder, and then, with a sudden pulse, the runes flared to life, their glow intensifying for a brief moment before fading back to their usual dim light. Whatever had just happened, it was a signal, a beacon sent through the runes to some distant watcher.

Vincent clenched his fist, suppressing a surge of irritation. Someone, or something, was using these runes to monitor the forest, perhaps even to prepare it for something far worse. He had seen enough. With a final look at the glowing marks, Vincent turned and began to make his way back toward the edge of the woods.

He knew that the Druids would need this information immediately. If these runes were indeed a threat, they would need to be removed or contained before they could fully activate. The land was already under siege from the Dark Hunter’s influence; they could not afford another breach in the fabric of the world.

As he walked, the voice of the Unholy Mother whispered in the back of his mind, a reminder of the delicate balance he sought to maintain.

“Do not fear the darkness, my child,” her voice was soft but carried with it a weight of authority. “But know it for what it is. These marks are merely shadows, yet it is the light behind them that you must watch for. You walk the line as you always have—careful, but do not hesitate. This is not intervention, only a warning. Give it to those who can act.”

Vincent nodded to himself, her words steadying his resolve. The Unholy Mother had always guided him well, and he trusted her wisdom. This was not his battle to fight, but he would ensure that those who could act had the knowledge they needed.

By the time he reached the edge of the forest, the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the land. The Druids would be waiting for him, and he had much to tell them. The strange runes were a sign of something darker on the horizon, something that might yet challenge the fragile balance Vincent had dedicated his life to protecting.

With his map and notes in hand, Vincent set off toward the Druids' grove, ready to deliver the warning and, in doing so, honor his vow to walk the line between intervention and observation. As always, he remained the bridge between worlds, a guardian of balance, watching over the realms even as the forces of darkness pressed ever closer.

[Vincent Veneficus]

THE SHADOWS WALK

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Vincent wandered through the dusky streets of the Duskside district, his keen eyes taking in the familiar yet ever-shifting atmosphere of the place. The Twilight Markets buzzed with activity around him—merchants called out from stalls draped in cloths of deep purple and blue, their goods gleaming faintly under the lanterns that flickered with an unsteady light. It was a place where the lines between night and day blurred, a perpetual twilight that lent the district its name and, more recently, its growing sense of unease.

Though Vincent had walked these streets many times before, tonight felt different. There was a strangeness in the air, a heaviness that pressed against his mind like a fog. As he moved deeper into the district, weaving through the throngs of people, he began to notice the shadows. They danced along the ground in unnatural ways, their movements fluid and inconsistent with the flickering flames that should have cast them.

Vincent’s sharp gaze tracked the shadows, and his brow furrowed as he saw one flicker unnaturally in the corner of his vision. He paused, watching it closely. The shadow—a vague, humanoid form—did not belong to anyone nearby. It drifted lazily across the cobblestones, gliding through the crowd as though searching for something, or someone. Then, with a sudden jerk, it darted toward an unsuspecting merchant, slipping into the folds of his own shadow as if it had found a new home.

The merchant seemed unaware of what had happened, continuing to shout about his wares to passersby. But Vincent could sense the disturbance, the ripple in the magical fabric of the world. The shadow was not idle. It was watching, waiting.

He moved closer to the merchant, his fingers tracing the edge of his dark robe as he summoned a subtle spell, a whisper of magic meant to reveal the presence of otherworldly forces. His eyes flared with arcane light as he cast the spell, and immediately, the shadow revealed itself in a different way. It pulsed with dark energy, and Vincent felt the cold, unsettling presence of something foreign—something that did not belong in this world.

The rumors he had heard in recent weeks came flooding back to him. Stories of shadows detaching from their owners, of shadowy figures picking pockets in the Twilight Markets, and even of shadows leading travelers astray into the deadly wilderness beyond the city. He had dismissed the tales at first, attributing them to the usual fearmongering that often accompanied the shifting magic of the markets. But now, seeing this with his own eyes, he knew something far more sinister was at work.

He glanced around, his senses heightened. The crowd bustled along, unaware of the danger lurking in their midst, but Vincent noticed the signs. A shadow there, moving in the wrong direction. Another one, slipping from one person to the next, as if seeking a new host. And then, at the edge of the market square, he saw something that made his blood run cold.

A man was standing still, his eyes wide with confusion as he stared at the ground beside him. His shadow—once tethered firmly to his feet—was no longer attached. Instead, it had peeled away, floating a few feet in front of him. The shadow had taken on a life of its own, its edges rippling like smoke in the wind. And then, as Vincent watched, the shadow began to drift further and further away, as though drawn by some unseen force.

Vincent wasted no time. He moved swiftly through the crowd, his long strides carrying him to the man in moments. The man’s breath came in short gasps as he reached for his shadow, his hand passing through the ethereal darkness as though it were nothing more than mist.

“Stay calm,” Vincent said, his voice steady but commanding. “Do not follow it.”

The man’s eyes were wide with fear, but he nodded, stepping back as Vincent approached the wayward shadow. The arcane symbols of Aethertongue appeared around his hands once again as he began to weave a spell of containment. The symbols shimmered in the air, flowing in intricate patterns as Vincent directed them toward the rogue shadow.

For a moment, the shadow hesitated, as if sensing the magic Vincent was about to use. Then, with a sudden, violent movement, it tried to flee, darting toward the deeper shadows of an alleyway at the edge of the square. But Vincent was quicker. With a flick of his wrist, the glowing symbols surged forward, forming a barrier around the shadow, trapping it in a cage of light.

The shadow writhed within the magical containment, its form twisting and shifting as though trying to escape. But Vincent’s spell held firm, and after a few moments, the shadow stilled, its energy contained.

Vincent turned to the man, who was still staring in disbelief at the place where his shadow had once been.

“You will need to stay near me,” Vincent said, his tone serious but not unkind. “The connection to your shadow has been severed, but it can be restored.”

The man nodded, still trembling but grateful for Vincent’s intervention. Vincent looked around the market once more, his eyes scanning for more signs of disturbance. The strangeness in the air had grown, and though the crowd remained largely unaware, the shadows were moving with greater purpose now. They were more than mere misbehaving flickers of light. They were being guided, manipulated by something—or someone.

As Vincent led the man toward the edge of the market, a flash of movement caught his eye. He turned his head just in time to see a shadowy figure slip into the crowd, disappearing between the stalls. It moved with the same unnatural fluidity as the shadows he had been watching, but there was something more deliberate about it. This was no random occurrence. Someone was behind this.

The Unholy Mother’s voice echoed in his mind once again, soft but commanding.

“The darkness stirs, my child, but you must not fear it. Watch closely. The answers lie in the shadows themselves. But do not intervene too quickly. The players have not yet revealed themselves.”

Vincent clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as he watched the figure disappear into the twilight. He would heed the Unholy Mother’s counsel, as he always did. This was not the time to act, but rather to observe, to gather information. The Druids of Rhy’Din needed to know what was happening here, but first, Vincent needed to understand the full scope of the danger.

He looked down at the man beside him. “Stay close. Your shadow can still be returned to you. But for now, you’re safer with me.”

The man nodded, his fear slowly giving way to a sense of trust in the tall, enigmatic figure that had come to his aid.

Together, they moved through the Duskside district, Vincent’s mind already working through the possibilities. The shadows were not just misbehaving; they were being guided, controlled. And if he didn’t find out who—or what—was behind it soon, the consequences could be far darker than anyone in the Twilight Markets could imagine.