VISION ✔️ || The Keepers of Astraela #1

23.1 || Of Tears and Tree Monsters

EMRYS

THE MORNING WAS BRIGHT AND QUIET.

A steady breeze filled the air with rustling leaves and carried the scent of blooming demula across the woods. Their lavender blossoms littered the sides of the path in unkempt rows, begging to be picked and dried for herbal use or have their sweet nectar boiled into syrup for his favorite calming brew.

Emrys hadn't expected Fromir Woods to be awash in brilliant color. With the Darkness' progression, it was a wonder that any flora and fauna survived, let alone thrived with such minimal nurturing sunlight. In fact, he had convinced himself he'd cross the Barrier and find it as lifeless as the northern mire, which had succumbed to Corruption long before he left.

The sights and smells of life were enchanting. Hopeful.

Emrys thanked the gods, wherever they were, for blessing them with such a lovely day. The long walk seemed far less tiresome with the distraction of Astraela's beauty; they had even slowed their stride to a more leisurely pace.

It made his heart flutter to watch Eva's joyful expressions while they meandered down the dirt path. She sipped at the coffee he had scrounged up for her before they left as she took in the surrounding wood. Wisps of steam curled from her insulated thermos, large enough to fit multiple cups of the Elysian Lily's morning brew—a smooth, medium-roast blend with cocoa and cinnamon infusions. It was a different flavor for her, and he worried it wouldn't live up to her tried and true favorites, but she had accepted it with glee.

It was her first genuine expression of joy in days. Emrys wished it would never fade.

It wasn't until Eva's gaze broke away from the world around them and met his own that he realized he'd been staring, hardly keeping track of the path. Small dimples indented her cheeks as she smiled at him.

"How long will the light last?" she asked.

Emrys looked up to the thickening canopy of leaves, where beams streamed through the trees. Bellus, Astraela's mildest sun, had picked the perfect time to shine upon them. Its light filtered through gaping holes in the Darkness, where the Guild had bombed the Corrupted webs with radiant magic to reveal the lavender sky beyond. It was the only good deed those bastards had ever done.

Emrys squinted against the brightness and held up a hand to shade his eyes. "Mystia said it should last through the evening."

He hoped her estimate was correct. While radiant magic allowed an abundance of light to filter through, the webs fought for power. Creeping slowly across the sky, they had progressed by inches since they'd begun walking. Only time would tell how long it would be before the world was eclipsed yet again.

"Once the sun sets, the Darkness strengthens," he said, "and the Guild can only keep it at bay for so long without rest. I can't imagine how much power they expel to light this much land. It's no wonder they can't do it every day."

A weight pulled at his chest that he'd hoped his morning herbal roll would lift. He had once been able to go for days on full power, with no more than a few hours' sleep, and he didn't feel an ounce of weakness. Even though he only used resting power to hold his "Jensen" form, a nagging ache radiated across his body, enough to remind him of his new limits. Limits that made him wonder if he would be able to protect his friend should their mission go awry.

"Emrys?" Eva's voice brought his eyes down from the light above them.

It was then that he felt the moisture across his waterline, though he had a hard time discerning whether it was from the brightness of the sky or something else entirely.