Emerald Green {Book Two}

The Beacon of Souls

The morning was harsh. Winds howled through the mountain crags, carrying with them a bitter cold that bit through their cloaks. Eryk led the group, his new sword sheathed but radiating a faint hum that he could feel in his chest. Ada followed, her sharp eyes scanning the jagged path, while Shadow prowled beside them, his black fur blending into the dark granite around them.

The mountain trail grew treacherous, narrowing to a ridge barely wide enough for two feet to stand side by side. Below them, a sheer drop plunged into an abyss of swirling mist. Above, jagged peaks jutted into the gray sky like the teeth of some ancient beast.

"Careful," Ada warned, her voice taut.

Eryk nodded, his gaze locked on the path. He glanced back at her, noting the tension in her jaw. "We'll make it," he said, though he wasn't sure if he was reassuring her or himself.

Then the world shifted.

A low rumble grew into a deafening roar. The ground beneath them trembled violently, stones dislodging and tumbling into the void below.

"Move!" Eryk shouted, grabbing Ada's arm as the ridge cracked and crumbled behind them. Shadow darted ahead, his instincts keener than theirs.

But the mountain had other plans.

With a thunderous crash, the path ahead gave way, sending a cascade of boulders roaring down the mountainside. Eryk barely had time to shove Ada forward before the ridge beneath him collapsed. He fell hard onto a lower outcropping, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.

When he looked up, Ada and Shadow were gone.

Panic surged through him as he scrambled to his feet. "Ada!" he called, his voice raw. "Shadow!"

The only response was the echo of his own voice, swallowed by the unrelenting wind.

Eryk's chest heaved as he scanned the rubble-strewn slope. His heart pounded, his mind racing with images of Ada and Shadow buried beneath the rockslide. Desperation clawed at him, but amidst the chaos, something stirred within him—a faint, unfamiliar sensation, like a whisper brushing against his soul.

He closed his eyes, reaching for it.

And then he saw it.

When he opened his eyes again, the world was different. The jagged landscape was overlaid with a shimmering network of glowing threads, like veins of light weaving through the air. They pulsed softly, each one distinct, yet all connected to a central force he couldn't see.

One thread glowed brighter than the rest, a deep emerald green that called to him with a sense of urgency. Without hesitation, Eryk followed it, the sword at his side resonating with the rhythm of the glowing path.

The trail led him through a narrow crevice, the walls closing in around him as he climbed over fallen rocks and debris. He moved with a single-minded determination, ignoring the sting of cuts on his hands and the ache in his legs.

Finally, he found them.

Ada lay pinned beneath a jagged boulder, her face pale but determined as she struggled to free herself. Shadow was beside her, his massive form shielding her from further harm. Blood matted the fur on his flank, but he was alive, his golden eyes fixed on Eryk with a mix of relief and urgency.

"Ada!" Eryk dropped to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he assessed the situation.

"I'm fine," she rasped, though her voice betrayed her pain. "Shadow took most of it. Can you get us out of here?"

Eryk hesitated, his mind racing. The boulder was too large to move by sheer force. His gaze flicked to his sword, its faint glow reflecting in his eyes.

Without thinking, he drew it.

The blade pulsed in his hand, its light growing brighter as he focused on the energy around him. The glowing threads he had seen earlier reappeared, converging around the sword and flowing into the blade like streams into a river.

"Hold on," he said, gripping the hilt tightly.

With a cry that echoed across the mountain, Eryk swung the sword in a wide arc. The blade didn't cut through the boulder—it dissolved it. The rock crumbled into shimmering particles that drifted away on the wind, leaving Ada and Shadow free.

Eryk fell to his knees, the sword dimming as he gasped for air. Ada reached out to steady him, her touch grounding him as he fought to regain his composure.

"You did it," she said, her voice filled with awe and something deeper—gratitude.

Shadow nudged Eryk's shoulder with his muzzle, a low whine escaping him. Eryk placed a hand on the wolf's head, relief washing over him like a tide.

But their reprieve was short-lived.

Above them, a shadow passed over the peak. Eryk's gaze snapped upward, and his heart sank. Two black shapes circled high above, their wings cutting through the sky with ominous precision.

"Odin's ravens," Ada whispered, her voice barely audible.

They watched in silence as the birds wheeled lower, their sharp cries echoing off the mountainside.

"We can't stay here," Eryk said, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at him.

As if in answer, a new path revealed itself—an opening in the rock, where the rockslide had torn the mountain apart. A dark tunnel yawned before them, its depths promising both danger and sanctuary.

"It's the only way," Ada said, her gaze meeting Eryk's.

He nodded, gripping the sword tightly as he led the way into the darkness. Shadow followed, his steps steady despite his injuries.

And as the trio disappeared into the tunnel, the ravens cried out once more, their black wings blotting out the pale light of the overcast sky.

For now, they were hidden. But the mountain held more secrets, and Odin's gaze was never far behind.