Belle lowered her bow slightly, her brow furrowing. "But if it keeps holding it, the stone will go dark. Our people will die."
"Wait," Brooke commanded softly, catching Belle's wrist. She looked closely at the beast. It wasn't snarling or destroying the stone. It looked tired, desperate, and desperately sad. Brooke noticed a jagged, angry red scar running down the creature's side, weeping a dark, thick liquid. "It's hurt. It isn't stealing the light to destroy it; it's using the warmth to heal itself." bc_brooke_belle_159
"We don't have to fight it to save our village," Brooke said, a plan forming in her mind. She reached into her own pack and pulled out a small wooden vial containing a glowing green paste made from crushed healing herbs and forest sap. "We help it heal, and then we ask for the stone back." Belle lowered her bow slightly, her brow furrowing
Belle looked at the massive creature, then at her sister's determined face. "You want to walk up to a giant shadow monster and offer it medicine?" "Yes," Brooke said simply. She looked closely at the beast