Legends of Forest and Flame: Flames of the Highland (Book 1)

Prologue: The Embers Awaken

The wind howled through the highlands, a biting chill that stung the skin and gnawed at the bones. Kael stood on the precipice of his homeland, gazing down at the smoldering ruins of his tribe. The smell of ash and death filled the air. His father's body lay among the fallen, a testament to the brutal battle that had ravaged their village. It was a sight he would never forget—a memory seared into his soul like the flames that had erupted from his very being.

The fire that saved them had destroyed them. And Kael was its source.

Grief and rage mingled in his chest, forming a knot so tight it felt as though it might tear him apart. As the last flicker of flames danced in the distance, Kael fell to his knees. His hands dug into the earth, seeking solace in its coolness, but it offered none. He had felt it then—a power so primal, so consuming that it terrified him. It had burst forth from his core, wild and untamed, obliterating not just his enemies but everyone he had ever known.

With the last breath of a dying sorcerer, Kael had been changed forever.

The winds carried a whisper, a name he could barely comprehend. "Ember's Rise." It was not a title he had earned, but a curse he had to bear. He could not stay in the highlands. Not after what he had done. Not after what he had become.