ꜱᴄᴀʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴇʏꜱ

Chapter 10: Reylyn

Reylyn was still skeptical of Caryx even after he told her everything, well, everything but his namesake and his quest.

All Reylyn knew was to trust Caryx even if he did seem a little untrustworthy.

"If you're so perfect on quests, Quest boy, then where do you want me to go?"

"The kingdom's borders."

"Are you crazy? I barely even know this kingdom!"

"Then tell me why you want to go on this quest this bad?"

"I-I-All I want for this quest is just to discover my powers."

"Your powers alone? Really, Reylyn?"

"Well not really just that but you know."

"Liar."

Reylyn drowned out his voice from there. Having someone speak through her mind was a little unsettling to her. She settled down near a forest near Maleni's borders for the night, and tried to sleep.

She felt arms wrap around her waist as she plummeted towards the pit of fire. She turned around to see a boy.

"You can let go of me now," she sneered at the boy. "I know what I'm doing." In reality she did not.

"You never gave me your name," the boy's hair was sun bleached and his eyes looked like cocoa.

"Rayl-"

"Step two: don't give a random guy you see in your dreams your name,"

"Can't I just go a few hours without you creeping into my head?"

"Let me think... yes if it was remotely important. Oh and also, do you ever calm down?"

"Yes. Just not with you."

"You should loosen up a little! It'll make your life so much better!" He imagined Caryx's smug grin.

"I do loosen up. Just not when I need sleep. Now let me sleep before your voice gets turned into pebbles."

"Pebbles wouldn't be very soothing!"

"More soothing than your voice,"

Reylyn cleared her mind of Caryx's voice and turned it into rain drops. She pulled out her map and began drawing her plan around it.

She was about two hours away from reaching the empire's edge if her math was right, and she was five hours away from home.

First, the Empire. Second, Forbidden Forrage. Third, ring of fire. Fourth, Fire of Odedord. She scribbled on the map to the side. Maybe advert that plan.

The only light coming from her tree was the moon. It was full, and it reminded her of wolves. Other than the moon, the forest was pitch black. There was howling of wolves in the distance.

"I didn't know there was wolves near the empire," Caryx's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Me neither,"

"Did you change your plan again?" he asked as she heard the howling closer.

She shrugged it off. "Kind of. Thinking about changing my route a little."

"Good, good.. It needs some serious change."

Reylyn felt a cold shiver through her body. "Let me guess? There's a big bad wolf behind me."

"I can only see things through your eyes," Caryx cleared his throat. "I know your near the forest of Finlopa,"

Reylyn turned around. Sure enough, there was an ice gray wolf behind her. Its orange eyes were gleaming with anger.

"Please tell me you have weapons,"

"I got a gladiator, but that's it."

"Hold on."

"How do you expect me to wait? There is literally a huge wolf glaring at me like I'm a dear or something and you want me to hold on? ARE YOU CRAZY?"

"No. Be patient."

She grabbed her gladiator from her sheath on her thigh and began thrashing in the air, just far enough away from the wolf's face.

Her backpack felt heavy out of nowhere.

"There,"

"Did you put weapons in my bag?'

"Yes." Caryx's voice sounded awfully guilty for it being weapons.

She shrugged it off and opened her back to find a huge hardcover book labeled: 'Kingdom of Maleni's history' as well as a long sword labeled, Renampo.

"I'm horrible at long combat sword fighting!"

"That's not the point, open the book please."

"Why? You said not to-"

"Just open it,"

She opened it with a sigh and felt a warm sensation on her palm.

"Are you ready to use your powers for the first time?"

She nodded. "Ready for anything,"

Caryx chuckled in her mind. "Open your palm and twist your wrist around, I know, it looks dorky. But you'll get used to it."

She followed his orders grudgingly.

"Now, set the pages on fire."

"Set the what on fire? I'm not ruining a book for my pow-." She stopped complaining when her palm was growing flames.

She sat down on the book and opened to a random page. "Does it matter what page?"

' "no, brace yourself though."

Reylyn put the flame down on the page and held on for dear life as she burned into the flames of the book.