Chapter 3-The Cycle of Shadows

  The snow-laden trees stood as silent sentinels; their branches heavy with the weight of the evening’s events. Oldman Kaavi, his weathered face a map of sorrow and resolve, watched as the flames from the funeral pyre consumed the remains of Viktor’s parents. The flickering light danced in the boy’s emerald eyes, now dull with the weight of grief.

  When the last ember faded, Kaavi gathered Viktor in his arms, carrying the child back to the cabin. The bed felt too large, too empty for a boy who had lost everything.

  “Please… tell me more about Father,” Viktor whispered, his voice barely audible.

  Kaavi hesitated; his heart heavy. “Rest now, Viktor. There will be time for stories when you’re ready,” he said, pulling the blanket over the child. Viktor’s eyelids fluttered shut, exhaustion overtaking him.

  Outside the cabin, Kaavi’s gaze turned to the forest, his mind reaching out into the night. He called upon a raven perched high on a frost-laden branch, its sharp eyes becoming his own. Through the raven’s vision, Kaavi saw the shadows moving through the trees—intruders, a reconnaissance team sent to uncover the fate of the squad that had fallen to Kaavi’s earlier wrath.

  Kaavi’s body ached; a reminder of battles long past. His abilities, once nearly limitless, now drained him quickly. He could not sustain their use for long without the risk of collapse. With careful precision, he summoned the wolves and a bear, creatures of the forest he had long since bent to his will. They would assist him, but only if necessary. Tonight, Kaavi preferred to handle matters personally.

  The intruders, unaware of the danger, moved swiftly through the forest. They had discovered the remains of their comrades, a grim sight that hastened their retreat. They needed to report back, to warn their superiors of the power that lurked in this forest.

  Kaavi moved silently, his age-defying the fluidity of his movements. As he closed in on the intruders, he signalled for the wolves and bear to remain hidden. This fight would begin on his terms.

  From the shadows, Kaavi emerged, his presence unnoticed until he was nearly upon them. The group’s leader, a man covered in bone armour, a grotesque exoskeleton that gleamed in the moonlight, turned just in time to meet Kaavi’s steely gaze.

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  “You’ve come far, only to meet the same fate as those before you,” Kaavi said, his voice a low growl.

  The leader sneered, his bone armor shifting as he drew a spear-like weapon from his palm, a sharp extension of his own skeleton. “An old man dares to challenge us? You must be the one responsible for my men’s deaths.”

  Kaavi didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his arm, and the wolves sprang from the darkness, their fangs aimed at the unprotected members of the squad. Chaos erupted as the wolves tore through the men, leaving only the leader standing, his bone armor shielding him from their teeth.

  The leader’s confidence faltered as he watched his comrades fall. He charged at Kaavi; his bone spear aimed to kill. But Kaavi was prepared. With a swift movement, he dodged the attack, his hand reaching out to grip the leader’s arm.

  The man’s eyes widened in shock as he felt his strength wane, his body betraying him. “What… what are you doing?” he stammered.

  “Kneel,” Kaavi commanded, and the man’s knees buckled under an unseen force, his bone armor creaking as he was forced into submission. Kaavi placed his hand on the man’s head, delving into his mind to extract the information he needed.

  Flashes of faces, places, and orders flooded Kaavi’s mind. The leader was nothing more than a pawn, sent with just enough information to fulfil his mission, unaware of the true power that orchestrated these events.

  “You’re expendable,” Kaavi said coldly, his voice devoid of pity. “You don’t even know who your master is.”

  Fear replaced the defiance in the man’s eyes. He realized too late that his life meant nothing to those who sent him.

  Kaavi’s strength was waning, the toll of his abilities becoming too much to bear. He needed to end this quickly. With a final surge of power, he commanded the wolves to attack. They obeyed without hesitation, their teeth shattering the man’s bone armour and sinking into his flesh.

  The leader’s screams echoed through the forest, his life ending in a brutal, bloody struggle. Kaavi watched, his expression unreadable, as the wolves finished their grim work. The forest fell silent once more, the only sound the soft rustling of leaves in the cold wind.

  Kaavi turned away, his body heavy with fatigue. He had sensed another presence earlier, a lone survivor who had fled the scene. The raven had searched but found nothing. The escapee had disappeared into the night, but Kaavi knew they would return.

  “It’s too dangerous to stay here,” Kaavi muttered to himself, his thoughts racing. “They know where I am now. We’ll have to leave tomorrow.”

  He climbed onto the bear’s back, the massive creature lowering itself for the old man. With a weary sigh, Kaavi signalled for the wolves to follow as they made their way back to the cabin. The day had fully broken by the time they reached the clearing, the sunlight filtering through the trees.

  As they entered the cabin, Kaavi glanced at Viktor, still asleep in his bed. The boy would need to be ready for the journey ahead, for the world was far more dangerous than he could yet understand.

  Kaavi looked up at the sky, the soft silver light of the moon now replaced by the sun’s warm glow. “The cycle of the moon, its waxing and waning, teaches us the impermanence of all things,” he thought. “Our time here is but a moment in the grand tapestry of life.”

  The raven’s search had yielded nothing, but Kaavi knew the peace they had here would not last. The forces hunting them were relentless, and they would come again. But next time, Kaavi would be ready. For now, he needed rest, to gather his strength for the battles to come.

  As he settled into the cabin, the wolves and bear standing guard outside, Kaavi allowed himself a moment of peace. But in his heart, he knew that this was just the beginning. The fight for survival had only just begun.

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