A Play Of Light And Shadows

Chapter 1: Tricky Beginnings

Of course they had anticipated running into difficulties sooner or later. And of course the two of them would happen upon it sooner.

Nyx and Selene had only left the safe haven that was their hometown a couple of days ago, and they already found themselves ensnared in the fetid tendrils of the fumes hovering over a seemingly endless marsh.

Their journey had started innocuously enough; the forest in the immediate surroundings of the village of Brim had been almost eerily quiet, utterly devoid of sly creatures or the buzzing of strange forms of magic. In that dearth of any sort of magical presence, they couldn't have missed the dancing lights if they wanted to.

Even though they knew to be wary of fenlights, they had an impact on Selene, greater than they ought to have. Selene, being a wielder of light, had sensed that the little creatures drew from the same well of magic that she did, and interest piqued, she wanted to observe their ways. Nyx, though all bravado and stubbornness, had never been too good at denying her friend's requests, however outlandish they might appear.

In no time, they trudged after the fenlights; Selene barely able to hide her delight, Nyx barely able to hide her doubts about the destination their fickle little guides were leading them to.

In only a little more time, the fenlights had led them completely, utterly astray; the way back to their point of origin but a wispy thought in the back of their minds. While Nyx' mood plummeted to brand new depths at this realization, Selene still strode on the fenlights' tail in a perfect display of tunnel vision. They swerved around prickly bushes the size of houses, and hopped over tiny shoots of deceitfully beautiful flowers they knew to explode on impact into little bursts of pungent gas.

The latter should have tipped them off about the direction they were headed, but surrounded by the near-blinding light of the misleading little fenlights, they only noticed their damp environment when it was far too late to make a swift escape.

There they were, trying to maintain their balance on a tiny patch of dry land in the middle of an eerie marsh, the murky fluid around their little island bubbling at irregular intervals. The fenlights were now weaving patterns through the air around them, and Nyx could swear they were mocking the two of them.

"Can't you just banish them?", she muttered under her breath, hopeful that Selene would be able to make use of the affinity she felt with the sly creatures of light. Selene was silent for a moment, dark brows furrowed in deep thoughts. "I'd rather not, they might shed a little light on the situation," she finally replied, glancing over at Nyx. The latter smirked at the wordplay, well aware that it was intended. "What do you suggest then?", Nyx asked, unable to keep the traces of amusement from seeping through. A thing of irony, as this was certainly not an amusing matter.

Selene carefully scanned their surroundings, mind churning for a solution behind her pensive, amber eyes. The golden mark surrounding her left eye, was a sure sign of her being a wildmage. A light-wielding wildmage, to be precise. The swirling lines of the mark blended beautifully with the warm, hushed tones of Selene's golden brown skin. In sharp contrast, Nyx' mark was a dark violet, and while its sharp lines wouldn't have blended in with any skin tone, it was particularly noticeable on the cool hue of Nyx' light skin. Then again, with her black hair and dark gray eyes, her entire appearance seemed to be built around contrast. To top that off, blending in had never been an activity she enjoyed in the first place.

"Mind if I let loose a few tricks while you think?", Nyx asked carefully, not wanting to upset the depths of Selene's thought process. Selene waved a hand, an elegant gesture indicating her approval of any ideas that might get them to safer grounds. "As long as you don't make matters worse, be my guest," she added for good measure.

Nyx stretched out her hands in front of her, noticing to her dismay that they were trembling. While the shadow magic she wielded was exceptionally powerful, her skill was severely lacking when it came to precision and control, especially when compared to Selene's dexterity. With the graveness of the situation, where any misstep could have disastrous consequences, it was really no wonder that Nyx suffered a slight tremor.

Drawing breaths calmly steadied her hands considerably, although she had now ended up with the foul air burning in her lungs. There were more than enough shadows around her to work with, and with a light tug of her hands, she managed to form the first semblances of a bridge. Pride over her achievement quickly made way for horror, as the fenlights had recognized her attempted escape and started burning away at the shadowy material of her construction.

In a sudden burst of frustration, Nyx threw her arms wide open, causing a wave of shadows to crash over the surrounding marsh. The stunned fenlights were thrown backwards through the air, losing a few meters of drenched ground. They regained their bearings just as quickly, and were humming around Nyx and Selene again faster than Nyx had lost her temper.

"You clearly have a different interpretation of not making matters worse than I do," Selene stated matter-of-factly, trying to give her friend a stern look but failing miserably. "If you're done with flailing your magic around, I would like to give my actually thought-out plan a whirl now."

Nyx made a dramatic arm gesture, as if clearing an invisible stage for Selene to take center position. The latter paid her no heed, instead focusing on her unspoken plan. Nyx always liked watching Selene wield her magic, as it made the tips of her dark brown, tight curls shine golden, adding to the natural glow she already possessed. Her hair was now dancing around her shoulders, curls swirling in the murky air, as the nature of her plan became clear to Nyx.