Fate's Forge

Chapter 6

Jas Cutter's eyes fluttered open to the gentle crackle of a fire and the scent of pine and earth filling his nostrils. He lay on a bed of soft furs in a shelter that seemed woven from the very heart of nature, the walls alive with a lattice of greenery that pulsed with a subtle, warm glow. Above him, a figure moved with silent grace, tending to a pot over the flames.

"Ah, you've returned to the land of the living," said Ulec, his voice a soothing melody that seemed to harmonize with the rustling leaves around them. The Guardian of the Sacred Forest, an impressive elvish Demigod with silver hair cascading down his back like a waterfall of moonlight, turned his piercing blue eyes upon Jas.

"Ulec..." Jas murmured, struggling to sit up. His body protested with dull aches, but the warmth seeping from the shelter's very walls eased his discomfort.

"Rest, young Jas. You've been through a great ordeal," Ulec advised.

"We were worried for a little while, those wolves really did a number on you," Fireweaver said to his mind.

"Yes; thanks for the help by the way," Jas thought back.

"Had there been a flame nearby I might've been able to help, but only if you had acted through me. I only supply the ability, you supply the magic and direction." Seer answered.

"Remind me to start carrying matches with me."

Ulec offered him a cup filled with a steaming, fragrant brew.

"Thanks," Jas replied, accepting the cup and letting the warmth spread from his palms into his bones. He took a tentative sip and felt vitality coursing through him, chasing away the remnants of his fatigue.

"Your mother, Alix, would scold me if I let her stepson falter under my watch," Ulec said with a twinkle in his eye, referring to Jas' adopted stepmother with fondness.

Jas chuckled weakly. "She'd have your head for it, ancient as it is."

"Indeed," Ulec agreed with a smile. "But we have more pressing matters to discuss, do we not?"

"This isn't Aguerius Forest is it," Jas asked worriedly, remembering the threat of death should he ever return to the Sacred Forest.

"No, this is not that Forest, you are still in the Forest of Death although a I had to bring you to a much warmer part of it. I was referring to who ever you were conversing with when I found you."

The mirth drained from Jas' face as he remembered his recent confrontation with the guardian of death, and the weight of those memories pressed down on him like the mountains themselves.

"Ulec, I met the Guardian of Death, he told me... He said there's punishment waiting for me. And he said he knew my destiny that I'm supposed to help destroy the world." His hands tightened around the cup, knuckles whitening.

Ulec's gaze held him steady, the weight of centuries behind those ancient eyes. "Destiny is a river, ever-flowing, ever-changing. It is true that yours carries turbulent waters, but soon, you must choose where to steer your vessel."

"Choose? I thought I would have more time," Jas said, a shiver running down his spine despite the warmth.

"Indeed." Ulec's voice was unwavering, though not unkind. "The time to make your choice draws near, Jas Cutter. "

Jas wrestled with the words, feeling the enormity of what lay ahead. He gazed into the fire, seeking its wisdom as it danced and flickered, casting shadows that played across Ulec's ageless face.

"Choices," he whispered, more to himself than to the Guardian before him. "Always choices."

"Such is the burden of life," Ulec nodded. "What is our life if not choices and their consequences. But remember, even the smallest pebble can change the course of that mighty river. Choose wisely, for not just your fate, but the fate of many will turn upon the path you take."