The first rays of sunlight streamed through the dense canopy of Kailasha Forest, bathing the Flameforge village in golden light. Dew clung to the leaves, shimmering like tiny jewels, while the air buzzed with the energy of preparation.
The Spring Festival, a once-in-five-years gathering of the nine villages, was nearing its zenith.
For three days, under the watchful gaze of both the sun and moon, a fragile truce would bind the Nine villages, a rare respite in a world teeming with tension.
Veer walked the forest's edge, his bent stick resting against his shoulder. His sharp grey eyes scanned for herbs and prey while his thoughts wandered. Behind him, Kaal darted from bush to bush, snapping at insects with gleeful abandon. The furry creature's mischievous antics were as much a source of amusement as they were exasperation.
"Kaal," Veer called, his voice firm but warm. "Stick close. You've already annoyed the goblins enough for one lifetime. They are still looking for a chance to settle the score."
Kaal paused, his red eyes gleaming mischievously. "「Let them try to catch me! I'll bite their noses off!」"
Veer chuckled.
"You're going to get us both into trouble one day, but remember fighting between villages is banned for three days."
He lifted Kaal by his ear, and Kaal made a wide smile.
As they were returning to the village, Veer's gaze softened as he watched Kaal playing with the children, his tiny tail wagging as they tried to catch him. The sight stirred a memory, pulling Veer back three years to the day he first found Kaal.
It had been a stormy evening when Veer stumbled upon the creature at the edge of the forest. Kaal was barely alive, his inky black fur drenched, his crimson eyes dim
The villagers had been wary, their unease growing as they observed him.
"He's as black as the void," one elder had said. "And those red eyes... it's like death stares back at you."
Baba had studied the creature intently before murmuring, "Kaal. Yes, yes, Kaal he'll be. A shadowed name for a shadowed soul."
So we started calling him that.
The creature had been named, but acceptance was slow. The first few days after Veer brought him home had been chaotic. Kaal had growled and snapped at everyone, even biting one of the village children who had tried to pet him.
"Relax," Veer had always said back then, holding out a piece of roasted meat. "If I wanted to eat you, I'd have done it already."
That patience had been the turning point. Over time, Kaal warmed up to Veer, and their bond deepened. When Kaal started speaking, it had shocked the entire village. Beasts and dungeon spawns weren't supposed to talk. Yet Kaal did, and with a wit sharper than most.
By the time they reached the village, the festival's preparations were in full swing. Smoke from cooking fires mingled with the scent of blooming flowers, and laughter echoed through the village. Elders directed younger villagers, traders bartered loudly.
"Kaal, you're back!" a little girl named Lotus squealed, running up to hug him.
Everything was just like it should be.
Veer, however, seemed a little off as he had come to realize something.
Later that evening, the elders gathered in Elder Hall. The sacred golden [Flame of Life] flickered in the chamber behind them, its glow casting eerie, dancing shadows on the walls. Crucial decisions for the preparations were being discussed. Veer sat among them.
"Today on this auspicious day I have came on a decision," Veer announced. "As everyone of importance is here, I want to discuss it now."
The room fell silent as they waited for the young boy to continue.
"After the Spring Festival, I will leave for the Arcane Academy," Veer announced, his voice steady.
The silent room erupted in protests.
"Arcane?! To the central empire?" one elder shouted.
"You want to leave?!" cried Elder Sura, her tone sharp with disbelief. "You're the last guardian of the Flame!"
"What will happen to the Flame of Life if danger comes while you're gone?" added Elder Pina, her knotted hands trembling as she gestured toward the sacred flame.
Veer met Baba's gaze. The oldest elder in the village was sitting at the highest bed, caressing his white beard.
"Baba, the Flame must be protected for generations. Currently forest is calm, If I stay, I can only defend it for so long. But if I go, I can learn, grow stronger, and ensure its safety forever," Veer explained with steady and sharp words.
But hall was still loud in protest.
Baba raised a hand, silencing them all. His voice was a peculiar mix of wisdom and whimsy. "Child speaks true, yes, yes. The boy dreams of strength, of knowledge. But dreams can be costly, oh yes."
The elder sighed deeply, his fingers tracing patterns in the air. "Then go, go with the forest's blessing. But know this: if you fail to come, the blood of the Flameforge will stain your hands."
Veer clenched his fists. "Failure is unacceptable."
The festival began, bringing with it a sense of fleeting unity.
Goblins from Greyhelem arrived first with bags of offerings, followed by the rival orcs of Orga and Ortra. The tension between them was palpable, but the festival's rules forbade fighting.
Kaal, as always, found his way into trouble.
"Hey, furball! Where are you going to?" Miro, a little kid, sneered, blocking Kaal's path. "You're just a dumb monster. You think you are one of us?"
Kaal bared his fangs. "「Say that again, and I'll show you who is actually dumb!」"
Before a fight could break out, Pino, the village storyteller, intervened. "Enough, Miro," he said with a smirk. "Unless you want me to spin a tale about a bully who was bested by a talking furball."
"Oh! I will really like to listen to it," Lotus, a little girl, came forward for Kaal's defense.
Miro scowled but backed off, and Kaal stuck out his tongue triumphantly. Kaal and Lotus gave Pino a nod of thanks before darting off to help—or hinder—festival preparations.
As the first day passed, unease grew. The Goblins of Millet had not arrived till now, and the group sent to find them had not returned. When the elves finally arrived, their prideful stride drew glares from other villagers. Still, their elder brought troubling news.
A meeting of the village elders was convened.
The elf elder spoke first, his voice smooth but grave. "We sensed an unfamiliar turmoil in the forest yesterday. It was subtle but unmistakable—something is strange this year."
The dwarf elder grunted, his brow furrowed. "Could be nothin'. Could be somethin'. But these Millets not showin'? That ain't right."
"Yeah," said the goblin elder from Grandtrunk. "Our fastest scouts haven't returned either."
Baba's voice broke through the grim conversation. "Shadows move, whispers grow. Not seen, not heard, but there. Always there. Beware, beware."
All the forces were ordered to be on alert.
On the final night of the festival, the villagers danced and sang, and finally, their prayers summoned the Flame of Life. All the fire torches of the nine villages shared their flames to merge as one rainbow fire and merged in the central fire stove. Everyone started shouting in surprise, and the dark night filled with light from the Flame.
Veer, however, couldn't relax. He stood at the edge of the village wall, his bow in hand, eyes scanning the dark forest. The Flame of Life flickered behind him, its light steady but vulnerable.
Kaal padded up beside him, his red eyes reflecting the firelight. "It's really shiny."
Veer nodded, gripping his bow tighter. "Yes. It's shiny and beautiful. Its your first time seeing it right? You know why we worship that fire?"
"「Hm? Why?」" Kaal bent his body in curiosity.
"It is life itself. That fire is the reflection of everything in existence. It nourishes the urza to flow in the living or nonliving. You, me, everyone in the village and forest, or the outer ones—we are all connected through it."
Veer continued.
" Once in Five years, everyone in forest despite of race and village comes together to worship it . Same as all that flame also attracts the monsters around, that is why all the forces of forest guards it for these three days."
「Hmmm...」
As the festival's final hours approached, an unnatural silence fell over the forest. The usual chorus of crickets and rustling leaves was gone, replaced by a stillness that pressed on the soul. Veer's heart pounded as the shadows seemed to shift and creep closer. The Flame burned brightly, but for the first time in years, Veer wondered if it would be enough.
In the distance, a low, guttural growl echoed—a sound that didn't belong.
Kaal's fur bristled as he whispered, "Veer... something's watching us."
Veer slashed the air with his stick. It transformed into a bow, and he shot an arrow into the trees' shadows.
And then, the shadows jumped.