Chapter Nine: Whispers in the Night
"We need to find shelter!" Ash's voice cut through the roar of the storm, but even then, it felt distant, drowned out by the wind.
Ember nodded, though she wasn't sure where they would find it. The mountains were unforgiving, and the storm was growing more violent by the minute. She could feel the cold seeping into her bones, her fire struggling to stay lit inside her.
"There!" Ash pointed, his voice sharp and urgent.
A cave.
Relief surged through Ember, and she pushed herself forward, her feet slipping on the wet rocks as she hurried toward the shelter. Ash was right behind her, his gaze fixed on the entrance. The wind howled even louder as they approached, the storm seeming to fight against them with every step.
They reached the cave just as another blast of wind swept through the pass, and the rain pelted them with icy drops. Ember stumbled inside, collapsing against the stone wall, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The air inside the cave was cold, but at least it was dry. The walls were jagged, but the ceiling was high enough to give them room to move. The storm echoed faintly from the entrance, but it was distant now, muffled by the rock.
Ash followed her in, shaking off the rain as he dropped his pack to the ground. He scanned the cave, his expression tense but relieved. "This should hold us for the night."
Ember nodded, her body aching from the climb. "What about the wolves?"
"They won't follow in this storm," Ash said and went to work finding dry wood for a fire.
They didn't speak much as the night wore on. The storm outside raged on, but inside the cave, the silence between them was almost palpable.
Ember lay down on the cold stone floor, her cloak wrapped around her as best as she could manage. The firelight danced across the cave walls, casting flickering shadows that seemed to move with the wind outside. Her eyelids felt heavy, and despite the tension in her chest, sleep began to pull at her, drawing her deeper into the darkness.
The Dream
Ember's eyes fluttered open, and she found herself standing in the middle of a vast, open field. The sky above her was painted in swirling shades of red and gold, the clouds churning like fire against the horizon. The ground beneath her feet was cracked and dry, scorched by heat she could feel rising from the earth.
She turned slowly, scanning her surroundings. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, but there was no fire—only the distant memory of it, lingering like a shadow.
Ember's breath hitched as her eyes caught sight of a figure standing at the far end of the field, silhouetted against the fiery sky. The figure was still, unmoving, but surrounded by flames that licked at the air around her. The fire didn't consume her—it seemed to move with her, as if it were part of her.
A chill ran down Ember's spine.
Another Phoenix
Her heart raced as she stepped forward, her feet moving of their own accord, drawn toward the other phoenix like a moth to a flame. The closer she got, the more vivid the fire became, burning brighter and hotter, but it didn't scorch the earth or the sky. It was contained, controlled.
The woman turned then, her fiery red hair glowing in the light of the flames, her eyes burning with an intensity that made Ember's breath catch.
"You must find me."
"Where are you?" Ember asked, her voice trembling.
"The wolves are coming," the woman said, her voice low but insistent. "They're hunting me. If they find me, everything will burn."
Ember's pulse quickened. The wolves. The same pack that had been chasing her. The same pack that Ash had betrayed. "Tell me where you are. How do I find you?"
The other phoenix stepped closer, her face softening for a moment. "You already know where to look. But you must hurry."
Ember tried to speak, tried to ask more, but the flames around the other phoenix suddenly flared, rising higher and brighter until they engulfed her completely. Ember gasped, stumbling backward as the heat rushed toward her, threatening to consume everything in its path.
And then, with a blinding flash of light, the vision vanished.
Ember jolted awake, her heart racing, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The fire had burned low, casting long shadows against the cave walls. The storm outside still raged, but the vision lingered in her mind, vivid and sharp.
She wasn't just dreaming.
Ash stirred beside the fire noticing her sudden movement. "Ember?" he asked,
"I had a dream," Ember whispered, her voice shaky. "But it wasn't just a dream. The other phoenix... she's close. And the wolves are hunting her too."
Ash's eyes darkened, the weight of her words settling between them. "Then we need to move. Soon."
Ember nodded, her heart still racing with the knowledge that time was running out—not just for her, but for the other phoenix as well.
