The Five Realms

Chapter 26: Steven V

Steven had been passing the time with Joey, chatting about their crushes and the bizarre situation they found themselves in. They were supposed to be on watch, but the stars above, with their unfamiliar constellations, provided a stunning yet disorienting backdrop. The moon, eerily similar to Earth's, cast a silvery glow that accentuated the strange landscape around them. Steven wasn't a celestial expert, but even he could tell that this place was far from home.

As the conversation meandered through the mundane—school, girls, and the sheer insanity of their current situation—Joey's mood shifted.

"You know, we'd be gearing up for midterms soon back home," Steven said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

Joey chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I bet you miss that, huh?"

Steven snorted. "No, I'm good."

"And your parents? Do you miss them?" Joey's voice held a note of genuine curiosity.

Steven hesitated before replying, his gaze drifting to the flickering flames of the campfire that separated their tent from the rest of the camp. "Of course I do... But have they even noticed I'm gone? That's the real question."

"Oh, come on. I'm sure they've noticed," Joey said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Yeah, right. We haven't been gone longer than a day. They probably think I'm at your house," Steven shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah, but—"

"Besides, they're more clueless than Beanca when it comes to you," Steven joked, attempting to inject some levity into the conversation.

Joey was about to respond when he suddenly stiffened, his attention riveted to a distant noise. "You hear that? Don't look around. Act natural."

Steven raised an eyebrow but kept his expression neutral. He listened intently and caught a faint rustling sound accompanied by a whisper that sent a shiver down his spine. "Danger," it seemed to say, carried on the breeze. It was so faint that Steven wasn't sure if he had actually heard it or if it was a figment of his imagination.

Joey's movements were quick and decisive. He reached for his borrowed bow and quiver of arrows, his expression serious. Steven couldn't help but feel a twinge of skepticism. "Do you even know how to use that?" he asked, glancing at the bow.

"You do remember I was a gold medalist 2 years ago, right?" Joey replied with a grin, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "We can use it to wake everyone if we need to."

"And how would we do that? Scream?" Steven countered, feeling a growing unease.

"Nope." Joey nodded toward the campfire. "It's obvious."

Steven grabbed his own weapon—a bowie knife—and the two exchanged determined looks. They were positioned in their tent, with the campfire glowing between them and the row of other tents, casting an orange light that flickered ominously. On the count of three, they both knocked an arrow and readied their weapons, attempting to look menacing despite their inexperience.

"Who's there?" Joey's voice boomed with forced authority.

From the shadows of the trees emerged a cloaked figure. The man was draped in dark fabric, which seemed to blend with the night. He removed his hood, revealing a bald head, a crooked nose, and a pair of piercing black eyes. His rugged face was tanned but looked almost pallid under the moonlight. He had a broad-shouldered build, with deep-set brows and an unusually wide mouth adorned with a mustache and close-cropped beard.

"Oh, put those down. If I wanted you dead, you would be," the man said, his voice smooth yet unsettlingly calm. His nonchalance made Steven hesitate for a moment, tempted to lower his weapon.

Steven's grip tightened on the bow, trying to maintain his composure. "My friend here asked you a question. Who are you?"

The man smirked, his eyes gleaming with a dark amusement. "I'm someone you should be afraid of, but you may call me 'Du Sundavr Konungr'."

The man's gaze turned sharp. "Ah, so you're not entirely untrained. You're the new riders... Pathetic. I knew Eragon was getting desperate after your father, but I didn't think it was this desperate."

Joey's eyes widened, confusion and anger mixing on his face. "My... father? What do you mean?"

The man's chuckle was dark and knowing. "Ooo, I believe I've spoken too much." His laughter was hollow. "I would have hoped for better competition, like some elves, but oh well. One can't escape one's destiny." He began to walk in a slow, deliberate arc toward the camp.

"Stay back. I'm warning you," Joey commanded, his voice trembling with both fear and determination. When the man ignored him, Joey let loose an arrow.

The man's reaction was almost mocking as he dodged the arrow with ease. It missed him completely.

"Joey! What the hell are you doing?" Steven shouted, his frustration evident.

The man's laughter grew, filled with scorn. "You're just children. This will be easy." He drew a double-edged sword from beneath his cloak, the blade glinting menacingly in the firelight. The sword was made of pure black metal, and it radiated an aura of malevolence. "I guess I'll have to take you both with me."

The man raised his blade, preparing to advance. But before he could make another move, the campfire exploded into a massive column of fire.

The sudden eruption of flames startled both Steven and Joey, who were thrown backward. The man leaped back, his face contorted in panic, and vanished into the shadows. His shriek, though terrifying, sounded oddly familiar to Steven, but he couldn't quite place it.

"THAT...." Joey panted, his voice strained as he pointed at the fire. "Is what I was doing."

The campfire, now a roaring inferno, had forced the rest of the camp into action. The other tents were being hastily evacuated, and everyone was scrambling to understand what had just happened. Steven, still reeling from the shock of the fire and the sudden disappearance of the hooded figure, tried to piece together the events. The figure's unsettling presence and the cryptic references to Joey's father left him with more questions than answers.

As the flames crackled and illuminated the chaos around them, Steven couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The encounter had been far from ordinary, and the secrets revealed by the hooded figure were unsettling. Steven glanced at Joey, who was visibly shaken but trying to appear composed. The night had turned from strange to dangerously mysterious, and Steven knew that the revelations they had just faced would only add to the tension and uncertainty of their journey.

The night was far from over, and Steven knew that the coming days would bring more revelations and challenges. For now, they needed to regroup and make sense of the danger that had just threatened them. As the camp settled back into a semblance of order, Steven's thoughts were focused on the immediate need for vigilance and understanding. The journey they were on had just become even more perilous, and Steven was determined to face whatever came next with clarity and resolve.