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The Silver Blade
By Samantha Nam
5/12/2022
The stars were scattered across the sky like spilled marbles. The lonely caw of a crow could be heard in the still night air. Lights were dotted around the village as people got ready for sleep to overwhelm them. The only creatures awake now were the animals that feasted on the darkness. Yet as the clocks struck midnight, a girl appeared at the library. She was no ordinary girl, for she had a mission and her name was Raven.
The faint sound of clocks striking midnight could be heard from the village. Raven leaned against the library walls as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. The library was overflowing with books but Raven had not come for them. Crooked shadows covered the walls and the ominous ticking of the clock filled the room. Suddenly, Raven froze. The clocks had stopped ticking. Slowly, she turned around and was met with two piercing eyes. In front of her was a figure in a khaki jacket with a belt and a rifle. That was the last thing Raven saw before everything went black.
The moment she regained consciousness, Raven could tell something was wrong. A haunted feeling had crept into her chaining her feelings. She remembered the glowing figure and looked around to find a trace of where it went. She was horrified to find it had been watching and waiting all along. Suddenly, it began to speak.
If you put yourself in mortal danger, you shall meet a prowling stranger.
Diamonds and opals are known as nobles.
To kill this creature, use your feature.
A glinting object, you must protect.
It'll save your life, the silver knife.
The ghostly poacher reached out towards Raven. It was as if she was in a trance. Hypnotized. His icy cold hands gripped her. Memories of the past came flooding back to Raven. She was part of the legend. The legend of the the shadow wolves. They had wispy shadows for fur, claws as black as obsidian and eyes as red as rubies. They would let out haunted hollow howls to let their victims know their fate was sealed. The poachers had hunted them down one by one but perhaps they had missed one. Raven shook her head trying to get the spooky image out of her mind.
She slowly walked over to the glass cases of artifacts chilled by the lifelike encounter. She saw a ring emblazoned with the royal crown and curiously, she slipped it on her finger. She tried to open the catch but it was jammed.
As Raven took a leather case, she asked the poacher if anyone had tried to kill the shadow wolves and made it out alive. One person had and that was her great grandmother. Raven opened the case and a bright aura of light flooded her eyes. It was the silver knife.
Captured by the beauty of the blade she wasn't prepared for the blood curdling scream. Raven was unsteady on her feet. Together, all these events made sense. She had finally realized that her destiny was entwined with the legend and she may lose her life trying to kill the beast.
Raven heard a light click come from her hand and she saw the ring had opened and from inside fluttered a sheet of paper. It was a diagram from the book of animal anatomy. To a normal person it was rubbish, but to Raven it was the key.
Raven ran to the shelf that had the book of animal anatomy and pulled it out. She heard a metallic grinding sound as the shelf pulled away becoming a doorway. Raven stepped inside clutching the silver blade. The creaky hinges of the shelf were closing. Now there was only one way to go. Most people would have gone mad in this labyrinth but not Raven. She ignored every cry for help, every shattering scream. It was all a lie. After what seemed like countless days and countless nights, Raven arrived at a clearing. Here would be a legend. A legend set into stone. About a girl and her quest to defeat the shadow wolves.
Raven could feel the air buzzing with anticipation. This was where she would have the battle. The battle to death. Slowly a hunched twisted figure appeared out of the shadows. It had souls for fur, no longer pure but black stained with fury and hatred. It had bright piercing ruby red eyes and claws as dark as obsidian. It was hungry for blood.
The wolf unleashed its pitiful souls in an attempt to chain her together. Raven grabbed her blade and cut away the chains. The shadow wolf created a storm of black vines and trapped Raven in it. Slowly it tightened the black vines suffocating her. Yet, Raven had a trick up her sleeve. She grabbed the silver blade and in one swift motion, she sliced through the sticky thorny vines. She would not be easily defeated.
Raven raised the silver blade above her head and plunged it into the heart of the shadow wolf. She was engulfed in a bright light and the last thing she saw were white wisps leaving the husk of the shadow wolf. Rest in peace little souls.
Raven awoke in the beanbags. Surely it was all a dream ? She looked at her belt and saw the tarnished silver blade edged with blood. She looked out of the window and saw the sun rise out of the clouds. The library was about to open and Raven did not want to be seen in there. As she was about to leave, a message carved itself into the blade. ' I will be back' .
Two years later......
The sky was painted bright blue and not a cloud was in sight. Raven pushed open the glass doors of the state library. She breathed in the musky smell of books and entered the library. The library had tried to cover up the bloodshed but the horror of the shadow wolves still stained the building. It would never stand quite as tall or proud for it bored the battle of a dangerous creature. Raven would never forget that day. It was seared into her memory. She looked around the library and her eyes locked onto a bright red ruby. Her worst nightmare was coming true, for that was the eye of a shadow wolf.
By Samantha Nam
5/12/2022
The stars were scattered across the sky like spilled marbles. The lonely caw of a crow could be heard in the still night air. Lights were dotted around the village as people got ready for sleep to overwhelm them. The only creatures awake now were the animals that feasted on the darkness. Yet as the clocks struck midnight, a girl appeared at the library. She was no ordinary girl, for she had a mission and her name was Raven.
The faint sound of clocks striking midnight could be heard from the village. Raven leaned against the library walls as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. The library was overflowing with books but Raven had not come for them. Crooked shadows covered the walls and the ominous ticking of the clock filled the room. Suddenly, Raven froze. The clocks had stopped ticking. Slowly, she turned around and was met with two piercing eyes. In front of her was a figure in a khaki jacket with a belt and a rifle. That was the last thing Raven saw before everything went black.
The moment she regained consciousness, Raven could tell something was wrong. A haunted feeling had crept into her chaining her feelings. She remembered the glowing figure and looked around to find a trace of where it went. She was horrified to find it had been watching and waiting all along. Suddenly, it began to speak.
If you put yourself in mortal danger, you shall meet a prowling stranger.
Diamonds and opals are known as nobles.
To kill this creature, use your feature.
A glinting object, you must protect.
It'll save your life, the silver knife.
The ghostly poacher reached out towards Raven. It was as if she was in a trance. Hypnotized. His icy cold hands gripped her. Memories of the past came flooding back to Raven. She was part of the legend. The legend of the the shadow wolves. They had wispy shadows for fur, claws as black as obsidian and eyes as red as rubies. They would let out haunted hollow howls to let their victims know their fate was sealed. The poachers had hunted them down one by one but perhaps they had missed one. Raven shook her head trying to get the spooky image out of her mind.
She slowly walked over to the glass cases of artifacts chilled by the lifelike encounter. She saw a ring emblazoned with the royal crown and curiously, she slipped it on her finger. She tried to open the catch but it was jammed.
As Raven took a leather case, she asked the poacher if anyone had tried to kill the shadow wolves and made it out alive. One person had and that was her great grandmother. Raven opened the case and a bright aura of light flooded her eyes. It was the silver knife.
Captured by the beauty of the blade she wasn't prepared for the blood curdling scream. Raven was unsteady on her feet. Together, all these events made sense. She had finally realized that her destiny was entwined with the legend and she may lose her life trying to kill the beast.
Raven heard a light click come from her hand and she saw the ring had opened and from inside fluttered a sheet of paper. It was a diagram from the book of animal anatomy. To a normal person it was rubbish, but to Raven it was the key.
Raven ran to the shelf that had the book of animal anatomy and pulled it out. She heard a metallic grinding sound as the shelf pulled away becoming a doorway. Raven stepped inside clutching the silver blade. The creaky hinges of the shelf were closing. Now there was only one way to go. Most people would have gone mad in this labyrinth but not Raven. She ignored every cry for help, every shattering scream. It was all a lie. After what seemed like countless days and countless nights, Raven arrived at a clearing. Here would be a legend. A legend set into stone. About a girl and her quest to defeat the shadow wolves.
Raven could feel the air buzzing with anticipation. This was where she would have the battle. The battle to death. Slowly a hunched twisted figure appeared out of the shadows. It had souls for fur, no longer pure but black stained with fury and hatred. It had bright piercing ruby red eyes and claws as dark as obsidian. It was hungry for blood.
The wolf unleashed its pitiful souls in an attempt to chain her together. Raven grabbed her blade and cut away the chains. The shadow wolf created a storm of black vines and trapped Raven in it. Slowly it tightened the black vines suffocating her. Yet, Raven had a trick up her sleeve. She grabbed the silver blade and in one swift motion, she sliced through the sticky thorny vines. She would not be easily defeated.
Raven raised the silver blade above her head and plunged it into the heart of the shadow wolf. She was engulfed in a bright light and the last thing she saw were white wisps leaving the husk of the shadow wolf. Rest in peace little souls.
Raven awoke in the beanbags. Surely it was all a dream ? She looked at her belt and saw the tarnished silver blade edged with blood. She looked out of the window and saw the sun rise out of the clouds. The library was about to open and Raven did not want to be seen in there. As she was about to leave, a message carved itself into the blade. ' I will be back' .
Two years later......
The sky was painted bright blue and not a cloud was in sight. Raven pushed open the glass doors of the state library. She breathed in the musky smell of books and entered the library. The library had tried to cover up the bloodshed but the horror of the shadow wolves still stained the building. It would never stand quite as tall or proud for it bored the battle of a dangerous creature. Raven would never forget that day. It was seared into her memory. She looked around the library and her eyes locked onto a bright red ruby. Her worst nightmare was coming true, for that was the eye of a shadow wolf.