Hunting a Shade: The Vis Remaining, #1.5

By H. E. Salian

Aike and Hid, the leaders of a Wolf team, are forced to take a dangerous job. They must capture a Shade. A deadly, telepathic creature that roams the shadow world of Eidola. The team struggles to locate one, but it finds them first. Though reeling from the brief encounter and suffering hallucinations in the aftermath, the Wolves must continue their mission or suffer worse consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: H. E. Salian
• Release date: May 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781734800449

H. E. Salian

H. E. Salian is the author of the series The Vis Remaining beginning with the book A Step Through The Empty. She lives in the Montana wilderness when not traveling or getting lost. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, welding, and many attempts at creating art.

Book preview

* THE VIS REMAINING TRILOGY *

A SHORT STORY

HUNTING

A

SHADE

|||||

H. E. SALIAN

Copyright © H. E. Salian 2023

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be altered, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including, but not limited to, scanning, duplicating, uploading, hosting, distributing, or reselling, without the express prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of reasonable quotations in features such as reviews, interviews, and certain other non-commercial uses currently permitted by copyright law.

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. All characters, locations, and businesses are purely products of the author’s imagination and are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, places, or events is completely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-7348004-4-9

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

About the Author

Chapter 1

♦♦♦

HID STARED AT THE Oracaede representative with veiled curiosity. The woman was tall and unmoving, with dark hair and deep, predatory eyes. Those eyes looked down on every single person around her with disdain.

She was what Hid imagined the Aynur chief’s wife, Reb, may have looked like, ten years and at least three broken noses ago.

Hid ducked his gaze in ostensible respect when the woman, Thacea, glanced in his direction.

Her gaze skimmed passed him and rested on Aike with a scornful look. Hid was relieved he was not the team leader, though most people who did not know Aike had thought he should be. Guilt followed the relief as he glanced at the hatred directed at his friend.

This is not an easy task, Thacea stated, returning her gaze to the chief, Are you sure these Wolf kids can actually accomplish it?

Of course, Reb snapped back with an equally hate-filled sneer, they’re best.

I’m not sure if we can, Reb.

Hid snuck a glance toward Aike. The usually jovial man was still feigning complete apathy in the presence of their chief, but he caught Hid’s look with a shrug of doubt.

Thacea purred an amused note. She shifted her tall line of curves until she stood in front of Aike, scowling down at where he knelt.

Hid tried not to bristle at her proximity to his friend. The woman had a terrifying weight of danger to her presence, like a coiled snake, ready to strike at any moment.

The best? Thacea sounded amused, but not in a way that would be good for the Wolves, Is that so, Wolf? You’re the best?

As the leader says, Aike ducked his head.

Hid tensed to move as the vile woman’s right eye twitched with disgust. She looked like she might try to kill Aike just to irritate the chief.

Thacea scoffed and relaxed back from her threatening posture with a scoff. She opened the satchel at her side and dumped out a metal box at Aike’s knees.

Aike ducked his head obediently, picked up the object, and tucked it under his arm without further examination.

The woman returned to stand in front of Chief Erasyl, though she spoke of the mission Oracaede was hiring them for to Aike.

That Aequorian box will suck up and hold a Shade. You need only to get close to one.

Hid balked at the very mention of the crazy suicide mission the woman was ordering them to complete.

Surely the chief, or even insane Reb, must know this mission is crazy and impossible.

He glanced towards their leaders, but the two were busy scorning Thacea. The three traded insults without a thought for the difficulty the Wolves would have.

Hid fought to keep from grimacing at the careless way their leaders disregarded their lives and safety.

We’re the only ones who care if we live. Damn these people.

You know your mission, Reb snapped, jerking her head towards the tent opening. Leave.

Aike and Hid both acknowledged Reb and the chief and were ignored before they moved to the exit as quickly as possible.

Once outside, they made a quick escape to where the rest of the team was gathering supplies.

Done already? Retha chirped from where she sat, skinning some small rodents.

Yep. Aike’s goofy smile adorned his face again as soon as they exited the tent, "You know we can’t stay