The stories from the townsfolk there were grim, especially those from the Elder that I had talked to. They closed shutters and locked doors at night, and did not dare venture out until morning's light. Each had tales of friends and loved ones being dragged away in the night, scant horrible evidence of their demised occasionally found.
And no word of this to Amber?
I told the old man that Ben and I would would investigate, and then I found my brother, who looked appalled at some of the evidence he'd digged out of these people. Regrouping, we shared evidence and decided that there had to be some point of egress through the mountains for these demons to be so close to Amber herself. While I was not sold on the idea of investigating, as the sun sat low in the sky, Ben urged me on, and we forged up the rough pass ahead.
It was just dusk then, when they attacked.
Skitters, the name Bailey gave to them after the fact. One had jumped on my horse, and I tore it off with a bare hand. Ben and I charged up the trail to a dead end, a pack of these creatures chasing us, yet more ahead. They quickly surrounded us, Ben thrown from his horse, which became an instant meal. Drawing Ben behind me, I drew my sword and swatted a few untimid one away, racing back towards the trail again, but being forced back.
Before we were doomed, I felt that familiar agitation of sorcery, and the demons careened off an unseen wall. Thanking and cursing at the same time, I flipped through my Trumps, passing Gwyn's, and activating Gen's with the last of our time and the tiny bit of light...
We burst through to her, Christopher and Bailey with about a dozen of these things hot on our trail, and between us all, they died quickly. And as I discussed things with Bailey, we looked at each other and realized that between these demons in Amber, and the shade that had stalked Gwyn in Ivory, that something wicked this way comes.
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