Chapter 21: The confrontation

Ethan had already passed through the western gate and was walking down the road leading into the forest.

Behind him, the guards were still preparing for the attack. He could hear their movements fading as he continued farther from the village.

Through the Shadow Wraiths he had left in the forest, Ethan could already sense the Laughing Fiends approaching.

There were hundreds of them, and they were moving together.

That was enough.

There was no reason to let them reach the village.

After putting some distance between himself and the gate, he stopped and gave the order.

The Shadow Wraiths hidden throughout the forest began to move.

They spread through the trees and surrounding area, keeping to the shadows and staying out of sight. Some moved ahead toward the road, while others remained hidden on both sides.

The Laughing Fiends were getting closer.

None of them seemed to notice the Shadow Wraiths waiting around them.

Ethan stood alone on the road and watched the forest ahead.

There was no need to rush.

He would let them come closer first.

...

Back at the village, the guards were still preparing the village’s defenses when someone suddenly heard laughter coming from the forest.

"Haha... hahaha..."

A few guards stopped what they were doing and looked toward the trees.

"What was that?"

Before anyone could answer, the laughter came again.

This time, it was louder.

Then another voice joined in from farther away.

"Hahaha..."

More laughter followed from different parts of the forest. Soon, it was difficult to tell where the Laughing Fiends were. The sound seemed to be coming from all around the village.

The guards began to grow uneasy.

"Are they already here?"

"I can’t see anything."

"Where are they?"

Some of the guards moved closer together while others kept looking toward the forest. A few had already started gripping their weapons tighter.

The captain noticed the change and raised his voice.

"Stay in position!"

The guards looked toward him.

"Don’t let their laughter get to you. This is what they want."

He glanced toward the forest before continuing.

"Laughing Fiends use their laughter to make their enemies lose their composure. If you panic now, you’ve already given them what they want."

Another wave of laughter spread through the forest.

Several guards flinched.

The captain’s voice grew louder.

"Keep your eyes on the forest and stay ready. Don’t leave your position unless you’re ordered to."

The guards slowly settled back into place, though the tension hadn’t left them.

Farther away, on the road leading into the forest, Ethan heard it too.

The sound was coming from ahead, mixed with the noise of many footsteps moving through the forest.

Their laughter filled the forest as they walked, but it gradually faded when the Laughing Fiends noticed the human standing in the middle of the road.

"What?"

"Is that a human?"

"Why is he alone?"

The Laughing Fiends looked around, but there was no one else nearby.

One of them laughed.

"Maybe he’s lost."

A few others laughed with him.

The Laughing Fiend at the front didn’t join them. He stared at Ethan for a moment before asking, "Where are the others?"

Ethan didn’t answer immediately. His eyes moved over the group. There were hundreds of them. This had to be the main force heading toward the village.

The Laughing Fiend frowned when Ethan remained silent. "You came here alone?"

"Yes."

That answer made several of them laugh again. The leader’s grin widened.

"Then you’re either very brave or very stupid."

Ethan looked at him for a moment.

"I’ve heard that before. The sixteen Laughing Fiends I met on the way here said almost the same thing."

The laughter stopped.

The leader’s expression changed.

Ethan nodded.

"Sixteen?"

His smile disappeared as he looked at Ethan again. One of the Laughing Fiends beside him finally spoke. "Commander, the group we sent was supposed to intercept a messenger."

The commander looked back at Ethan. He was alone, and there was no sign of anyone else blocking the path.

His expression changed.

"You’re the messenger?"

"That’s right."

The laughter that had filled the forest moments earlier was gone. The Laughing Fiends exchanged glances, shocked.

The commander took a step forward. "Then where are the sixteen?"

"They won’t be coming."

A few of the Laughing Fiends tightened their grips on their weapons.

The commander stared at Ethan for a few seconds before asking, "You killed them?"

Ethan didn’t answer.

"How?"

"They attacked me."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

Ethan shrugged. "They lost."

A few Laughing Fiends laughed.

"He’s got quite the mouth for someone standing alone."

"Sixteen of our men went after him."

"Maybe they were careless."

The commander ignored them and kept his eyes on Ethan.

"Where are the villagers?"

"Behind me."

"So you came here to stop us?"

"Yes."

The commander gave a short laugh. "You’re alone."

"I know."

"And you still think you can stop us?"

Ethan glanced around at the Laughing Fiends. "There’s only one way to find out."

The commander raised a hand. "Spread out. Don’t let him escape."

The Laughing Fiends moved through the forest and along the road, surrounding Ethan from both sides.

The commander lowered his hand.

"Kill him."

The Laughing Fiends moved forward, weapons ready. But before they could reach Ethan, something strange caught their attention.

The shadows beneath their feet were moving.

The light was coming from one direction, yet some of the shadows stretched the other way. They twisted across the ground on their own, slowly spreading toward the surrounding trees.

"What..."

A few of the Laughing Fiends looked down, then at each other.

"Are your shadows moving too?"

"Mine is."

"What is going on?"

The confusion quickly spread through the group as more of them noticed the same thing. Their shadows were shifting and twisting without matching their movements. Some stretched farther than they should have, while others seemed to blend into the darkness beneath the trees.

The commander looked down at his own shadow. It was moving as well.

He took a step back, and for a moment his shadow remained where it was before slowly following him.

His expression changed as he looked straight at Ethan.

"It must be you."

"What kind of sorcery is this?" the commander demanded.