Jaxon’s POV

Our journey started at dawn, just at the first break of light. The sky was friendly, a promising journey toward the famous Valley of Shadows. I had carefully selected the team we would be working with; six seasoned trusted warriors. From the series of training we launched, l had personally handpicked each of them, judging from their courage and skill, not forgetting their resilience spirit. Beside me walkes closely, the rogue warrior, Calder. Due to his past knowledge of the valley, he would be useful in guiding and directing us for easy navigation. Liora on her part was armed to the teeth, it was heavy, but I wouldn't have any harm near her. We were actually armed, but I took extra caution on the part of Liora, the Luna. As we moved in silence, exact to their thoughts, the only sound heard was the chirping of birds on the trees. Everywhere was quiet, an evidence that we were about entering into the forbidden wilderness. The valley was still far with a reasonable distance, but the impact was already felt right from where we were. But even at that, we were determined to achieve our aims at all costs. Not even the silence of the forest would be enough to stop us, we would conquer and return to our pack victorious. Calder was the first to speak, breaking the silence between us. 'Once we arrive at the entrance to Valley of Shadows, it would interest us all to note that nothing will be what it appeared to us. There would be situations where all you could hear were things forbidden by your ears, or voices from the land of the dead. We should all stay focused because of the purpose of his mission, do our best not be distracted. The spirit in charge of the artifacts operates with fear, conquering fear is winning and getting the artifact." I listened as he explained more of the details to everyone around. There would be no room for fear, all hands should be on desk for one purpose. I knew I had to do everything possible, not only for my pack, but for my Union with Liora. We were on the journey together, and we would win together. Not quite long, after hours of journeying through the rough forest, we finally got to the edge of the valley, minutes away from the valley itself. The atmosphere was what we had anticipated, thick with conspiracy, and emitting otherworld energy endlessly. The path suddenly became really narrow, forcing us to squeeze ourselves in. The chilling around the area, left cold shivers on us, withstanding our fully armed selves. Elder Marcus was right in his description of the spirits, so is Calder. They were our guide in getting all wanted from the pack. The spirits, mostly the fallen, would do anything to stop or interfere with our time frame. There were those who once lay down their lives, shedding their blood for the pack and their loved ones. And after their departure, they had made their way to the valley, where the ancestors left the artifacts, just to protect them from the likes of Morgath. On entering the valley, the first thing that welcomed us was the murmuring of different types, things that were alien to the ear. It was their way of distracting us, a way of igniting fear, but we were alerted beforehand, fully equipped for their shenanigans. Not long, we noticed how scary shadows flicked everywhere, appearing and disappearing as they came before we could figure out what they were. It was a terrible sight to behold, but our minds were already made up. We were warriors, and would stop at nothing until we achieved our purpose of stepping out of the pack. Calder took the lead without being told to do so. He seemed deliberate in his actions, acting before he was told to do so. I could see his zeal to destroy Morgath, taking over to crumble him, but I still don't trust him hundred percent. 'Keep your heads very low, make no effort to speak. They have been watching us keenly since we entered inside." that came the next warning, Calder's voice barely audible. Due to how narrow the path was, we resolved to move in a single file. The sound was enough to make one abort their mission, enough to scare the bravest, we weren't in for such surprises. We continued moving, with one heart, each other's strength. Then the voices returned again, but this time, filled with mournful wails, regrets of how they wasted their lives fighting for no cause, leaving their family and loved ones alive. It was terrifying to a warrior, not to talk of an ordinary pack member. The mourning song kept haunting us, distracting all of our efforts. The sadness in their voices were alarming, their aim was to get us scared but we continued moving, paying no attention to their efforts. We got to a point that Calder paused, instructions to do the same. I discovered that he could sense them with his nostril, even from a distance. " They are closer than you can see, get ready for anything." He alerted everyone. Just as he finished speaking, a figure appeared, and surprisingly, it was clad in ancient armor, taking the form of an ancient warrior. His behavior suggests a ghostly frame. The figure held an intense gaze with me, ensuring to piece straight to my inner being. A weakling would have wobbled to the ground, but I am the Alpha, I lead a great pack, the Silver Moon Pack. 'Why do you seek trouble where there's none? Why disturb our peace, seeking what lies here?" the spirit demanded gravely. I moved closer to where he stood, careful not to break my gaze on him. 'We come in peace, seeking to have the possession of the artifact. It had the power to protect the pack and in a great way, preserve our way of life. We are here struggling to accomplish the good fight, which most of you fought. We didn't come to mock or disturb your rest. If the artifacts are not released, the pack would suffer great loss, more than it did during your time." The spirit hesitated for some time, he was examining us, to know if we were worthy to have the artifact.'This Valley, as you might have heard, is no place for the living," he warned. 'Those who trespass the sacred ground risk a lot. And most times, the list may not be worth it just like most of us did; fighting for a pack that wasted no time to celebrate, not giving you the honor you deserve for laying down your lives for them. You might lose your mind, get lost in the valley and worst of all, lose your life in the process like us." Liora, being a better convincer, spoke up immediately, giving him more reasons to allow us in. 'We didn't come all the way from our pack to watch the valley or inspect its content. We are prepared, not taking the risk is already risky for our wellbeing. We honor your legacy, the good fight you fought, we are only here to preserve what you protected in life, the last drop of your blood." There was dead silence, it seemed we would have to deal with more of that today. He assessed with his eyes, and at some point, tried to inflict fear in us, but didn't bulge. He said no word as he did that, and slowly, he made way for us, dissolving rather than disappearing. But not without leaving the path to the artifact open. We continued descending the stairs on the cliff, and the more we moved, the darker it became. But even after his disappearance, strange figures kept appearing before us, and we know it was an act to test our resolve. The valley was filled with enough trials to break us, but we came prepared. Finally, after a long walk that took almost an eternity, we arrived at a cleared path. On the left side, just behind an oak tree, lay the artifact. It was encased in a stone, and half buried. It was a silver dagger, greatly adorned with not just any symbols, but ancient symbols, gleaming and emitting light of great intensity. I reached out to take it boldly, and immediately, a sudden chill ran through my veins, and I began hearing voices, protesting to leave their sweat, their blood. The air around the cleared path thickened, the fallen spirits were angry. They had fought the same fight but never made it alive. They lost all, but we were here for the same cause, but still intact. They were grieving their deaths, almost making me feel guilty for interfering. The wailing became more aggressive, refusing to bulge no matter how I tried to block them. Liora patted me on my shoulders, jotting me out from the trance they had enslaved in. 'Focus, we can't afford to lose now, Alpha Jaxon. Remember what brought us to this place, listen not to them but to me." With the new energy she transferred, I tightened my grip on the artifact, and with all my strength, pulled it from the ground. The very moment the artifact was released, the fallen spirits let out a loud cry of anguish, a blinding light erupting from the artifact. I held it very tight, giving no room for the light to make me lose focus. When the light finally died down, the spirits disappeared, retreating to the deeper part of the scent. 'Let's move out of this place," I said, still holding the artifact tightly. We had secured the first, the next artifact, our focus. As we retraced our steps out of the valley, the artifacts were still in my hand. There were still two more to get, two more bottles awaiting us. The battle is just starting.