Brazen Wolfe Tabletop

Walking Shadow

213WeWS

Running through the tall stalks of grain Rohun he called out to Ling who was lagging behind him “We’ve got to run, now! We will lose them!” he called, eagerness in his voice as he pushed the stalks and reeds away with his shield as the voice called out to them “Help” from somewhere up ahead.

As the voice came louder the more uncertain of its origin he became, eventually coming to a stop a few dozen feet from the wall that separated the next paddock and the mountains beyond. As Ling walked in front of him he was glad, not for the first time that he had her by his side when things by the fringe got weird or out of control. As the voices started to pickup, repeating words back to them Rohun was so focused on the noises and looking for a person speaking to them that he didn’t notice his own shadow elongate, slither up his body and wrap around his mouth.

The moment the shadow clamped down around his body, constricting him stronger than any creature he had encountered could, binding his arms to his sides, his spear to his arm and holding his mouth shut. It was impossible to move and when he felt a tug on his legs he fell forward on his face he was whipped back into the reeds with such speed that his only chance at survival and freedom was Ling noticing. As he stopped moving and he looked up through the reeds, blinking trying to clear the dirt that had been flicked into his eyes he stared with confusion then horror as he saw himself standing next to Ling in the patch of reeds he was just standing in.

“Run Ling. It’s all we can do now. Go now!” the imposter yelled as he took off, away from the reeds and shadows. Rohun strained against his bindings, moving and straining against the shadows themselves. That’s when he felt them moving him again, pulling him towards the wall and the mountains beyond. He cried out but the shadow around his mouth squeezed tighter, making sure to not hurt him or damage him but keep him quiet as his feet hit the stone of the wall. Then, after a moment of pressure on his feet he felt his legs lift and he started to move over the wall, turning around using what little control he had over his body he looked with terror filled fascination as short little creatures moved with the shadows to attack Ling, but not savagely enough to hurt or harm her seriously but enough to drive her away. He strained, pushed and shouted – praying to his ancestors to seek their assistance – just one noise, one movement enough to get Lings attention so she would turn around and see him.

He felt his feet flick over the top of the wall, then his calves, thighs, hips and lower back. The entire time straining so hard to try and get Lings attention. Pop! his efforts rewarded him with his right shoulder dislocating causing his cries to help to turn into cries of pain and shock. As he felt his shoulders reach the top of the wall he glanced once more at his friend as she stopped, paused and looked back at the wall just in time for him, engulfed in shadows to fall over the wall and land hard. Creatures, bald and naked with exaggerated features stood around him, their forms cloaking in shadows like cloth would be worn by humans. As they walked so did the shadows that bound him move as they headed off in the directions of the mountains – a strange garbled language being spoken but each of them holding a weapon, token, or something of the people of this land – victims from previous abductions no less. As he banged his head on a rock and his should smashed into something else hidden amongst the vegetation beyond the wall his mind wandered as he contemplated what his next move was – how does he escape to save Ling from the doppelganger and warn his people of the shadowy threat this close to their villages.