The Crimson Legacy (In Progress)

Chapter 2: The Tome of Eldrid

—

As Zephyr was thrust into the dim confines of the prison cart, he felt a familiar pang of despair settle in his stomach.

The cart rattled violently as it lurched forward, the wooden walls closing in around him. He leaned against the rough timber, his mind racing. The guards had taken the Tome, but the real danger lay in what it could unleash if it fell into the wrong hands.

Across the marketplace, Clara stood rooted in place, her heart pounding. The moment their eyes had locked ignited something within her—a sense of urgency and curiosity.

She had heard whispers of people pertaining to the captured man; Zephyr, the rogue sorcerer known for his reckless pursuits and dangerous escapades, but this was the first time she had truly seen him.

As she weighed her options, Clara took a step back into the shadows, her instincts urging caution—reminding herself of the risks involved.

She turned to leave, but Zephyr's words echoed in her mind.



"I am a seeker of ancient knowledge! You fools don't even know what you've taken."

Those words struck a chord deep within her. Knowledge was her pursuit, and he might hold the answers she sought.


In one graceful motion, Clara vanished into the shadows, her resolve solidifying. She would find another way to uncover the truth about the Tome.

Meanwhile, in the cart, Zephyr's thoughts spiraled. He had to retrieve the Tome—it held the key to awakening the ancient magic buried deep within Eldrid, a power that could shift the balance of authority in the realm. But now, locked away in this cart, he had no means to do so.

"You can do this Zephyr.." he urged himself, tapping into the remnants of his magical energy that lay dormant beneath his skin.

Suddenly, a glimmer of light caught his attention. A small crack in the cart's wood allowed him to glimpse the bustling marketplace, still filled with life, unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface.


He closed his eyes, reaching for that spark of magic he could feel simmering within him.

"Come on, come on.." feeling the words pulse in his chest, igniting a warm glow in his fingertips.

The air around him crackled as he channeled the energy into the lock that held him captive.

With Zephyr's concentration, the lock clicked, and the door creaked open just wide enough for him to slip through.

Zephyr didn't hesitate. He bolted from the cart, heart racing, and quickly melted into the shadows of the alley, slipping past the guards who remained oblivious to his escape. The marketplace, vibrant and chaotic, pulsed with the life he craved.

As Zephyr regained his footing, his pulse quickened—not from the adrenaline of his narrow escape, but from her.

Clara, standing before him in the dimming light, even with her hood on, he can see those striking scarlet eyes and silver hair, calm and unreadable. There was something about her presence that unnerved him, something that made the air feel heavier, more dangerous. His gut churned with a mixture of curiosity and caution, the edges of fear still gnawing at him.

She wasn't just another passerby. Why is she here?

"You shouldn't be here," he repeated, his voice quieter now, though his mind was racing. He wasn't sure whether he was warning her—or himself.

"Neither should you," she replied, her voice cool but with a subtle bite. Her eyes flicked over his shoulder, as if tracking the guards moving through the crowd in search of him. "You're being hunted."

Zephyr swallowed. "That's not news to me."

Clara took a slow step closer, her movements fluid yet charged with purpose, her presence demanding attention. She leaned in, her voice low but dangerous. "Why? What did you steal that's worth risking your life for?"

His heart skipped a beat. She didn't know about the Tome, not fully, but she could sense it—just like he could. There was no hiding its pull from someone like her. The air around them thrummed with unseen magic, and he could feel her searching, testing him for the truth.