The Withered Woodlands reeked of desertion, a vestige of a bygone era.
Previously home to nymphs, pixies, and harmonious wildlife, the forest's vitality had faded, starved into a skeletal state. The fall of Roxundam caused the sun to vanish overnight, and the voices of the kingdom children who once ran through its welcoming aura were reduced to distant memories.
Snap. Crack.
The twisted branches of the dead trees enveloping the campsite rattled and ached.
Kaelam Galadar watched the starless sky above grow sinister while Eliza warmed her hands at the small fire crackling within scraps of old wood. Carmine Foy tightened the leather saddle around her grey mare, then quickly attended to the other horses wandering the glen before returning to the group.
"I could feel him," Eliza said, the flames dancing in her eyes. "The fallen guardian rising before me and the dragon fire searing my flesh."
Carmine sat next to her on a dull tree stump.
"What else did you see?" asked the moon elf.
"I walked the fields of Ethomoore before the purge. I could breathe the air, touch the needles of grass, and feel the dirt beneath my feet."
Carmine closed her eyes and absorbed the description. Her lips quivered into a smile. "Yes, I remember the countryside. How I long to see it again."
Hiss.
Kaelam looked over his shoulder and scanned the dark treeline, which remained obscured by the night. Two small white orbs levitated deep within the forest, watching him. They were too far to identify but slowly grew in size with each passing heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Kaelam shrugged and examined the princess. "What did Tysceras say to you?"
"He tempted me with power," said Eliza.
"What kind of power?"
Eliza picked up a small stick and stoked the fire. "An alliance to rule the Isles with tyranny."
Kaelam pondered her words. "Why?"
"When pursuing his prey, the enemy enacts a grand display of smoke and mirrors to deceive us," said Carmine. "He promises to grant your greatest desire, but only after you sell your soul do you discover your dream has fueled his selfish and barbaric intentions. Eliza will inherit the Roxundam throne. This Tysceras cannot stop. He will, however, tempt you into thinking you want the same thing. Resist him, for the fallen one serves no one but himself."
Hiss. Hiss.
Carmine's gaze centred on the pair of white orbs. They multiplied, evolving into a bright swarm that steadily converged on the campsite. Her long ears twitched, attuning to the sound they wished to investigate.
Hiss. Hiss. hiss. Hiss. hiss.
"Get up," Carmine urged, garnering confusion from the others. "Put out the fire."
Eliza glimpsed frantically into the dark. "What is it?"
"Something is coming," said Kaelam, extinguishing the flames with his boot.
Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.
"Arm yourself," said Eliza.
"With what?" asked Kaelam. "Sticks and stones? We are in no position to defend ourselves."
Thump. Thump. Snap!
Kaelam and Eliza reared up against one another, arms interlocked and voices hushed by the fear slowly plaguing their conscious minds.
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RISEN | ONC 2024
FantasyA boy born with Serpentblood. An exiled dwarf in pursuit of his destiny. A she-elf guided by a religious prophecy. Together, they must rise to find the coveted Light of the World, a saviour who promises to tip the scale of waging Spiritual War in t...
