ASCENSION: BOOK 2 - SHADOW BLOODS.

Chapter 1: From The Shadows.

Snow fell across the lands of the Thirteen Clans as a crisp winter chill blew on the wind. Without warning the cold weather had come early, Autumn fading within the blink of an eye.
On the borderlands of Mount Weather, scouts  from Polis were positioned near to every exit point, cautiously watching for any signs of movement from those who dwelled inside of The Mountain. Distance was maintained for fear that The Mountain Men would unleash the monstrous Reapers to kill them or burn them alive with chemical warfare, should they move too close.
They had watched for signs of a threat for days, but The Mountain lay still.
The scouts situated closest to the tunnel access points sat patiently as night fell. The four of them worked in shifts, keepin a fire lit in a nearby cave for warmth and shelter during the harsh weather conditions.
As the night grew colder and the howling wind became more haunting,  one of the younger scouts had caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye.
Shadows moved across the blanket of white snow, faceless at first until the silver light of the moon illuminated these ominous figures.
They were dressed in military uniforms, guns poised ready to shoot to kill.
The Grounder moved quickly to alert the other two scouts that were still on duty with him only to find them gone, red blood now splashed upon the snowy ground. His heart sank, but there was no time to allow fear to get the better of him.
He rushed to the cave to warn the remaining scout in his team. As he frantically stormed into the cave he glanced around, seeking out the other man but he was nowhere to be found.
He could hear the sound of his boots standing in something wet upon the ground. Looking down his attention was drawn to pools of blood covering the floor. A cold shiver surged up his spine at the grim discovery, knowing in his heart he was already too late.
From the shadows a Reaper emerged, holding the severed heads of all of his fellow scouts. He threw them into the fire and stood staring at the Grounder. There was no empathy, no emotion behind the eyes of the monster that stood before him, only the need to kill.
"Magnificent beast isn't he?" A calm voice sounded from behind the scout, startling him.
He turned to see a military man standing there with six others, all armed with guns and holding onto more Reapers with chains around their necks.
"Some of them get a little excitable, hence the chains, but we all have our moments don't we?" The man said.
The scout remained silent. Fear had crept in freezing him to the spot.
The military man smiled at him and laughed to his men, "Look at him, he's actually shaking. I think the Grounder savages aren't so fierce after all. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, boy. I want you to deliver a message to your New  Commander, tell her we're coming for her people. There will be no negotiations, no truce, no mercy. These are our lands now, they belong to the people of The Mountain. The time of The Grounders is over."
The scout looked around nervously, unsure if the man in front of him was indeed allowing him to go. The other soliders moved to the side, firmly holding their Reapers at bay.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Barked their leader.
The Grounder quickly ran out of the cave as fast as his legs could carry him, never looking back. He knew the other scouts positioned around The Mountain would already be dead, there was no point of trying to warn them of the danger.
He found his horse and rode towards Polis, putting as much distance as possible between him and Mount Weather.
This was the moment they all feared. The Shadow Bloods were now upon their lands and with them only death followed.