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Fowad and Sadi moved further into the dense labyrinth of the Sapling Forest as its ancient heart lay before them-untamed and wild.
The sun was a transient guest; its golden rays barely managed to pierce through the thick canopy above.
Shadows played tricks with their eyes, twisting gnarled roots into grasping hands and swaying branches into watchful sentinels.
The thick moss of the forest floor deadened every step they made, its softness treacherously concealing what lay beyond.
Sadi's breathing came in ragged gasps, each one a reminder of the battle that took so much from him.
Blood darkened the cloth he'd pressed against his side, and his face was pale beneath smudges of dirt and sweat.
But his eyes, sharp and determined, remained locked on the path ahead.
Keep going," he whispered, his hand weaving in a come on gesture. His voice straining, still managing to carry the iron will that had seen their family through trials.
Fowad looked down at him, his thoughts was deep with furrows of concern, but he nodded and continued onward.
They pushed through brambles that tore at their clothes and skin, ignored sharp stings.
The egg in Fowad's satchel pulsed with its warmth-a silent reminder of its presence, of the stakes they carried.
It felt heavier than ever, as if it knew the turmoil closing around them.
Minutes bled into an hour; the only sound being the far calls of birds and the crackle of underbrush as unseen creatures skittered away.
Then the floor of the forest sloped sharply downward, and Fowad almost lost his footing in the loose dirt.
Watch your step," Sadi warned, his voice shaking as he leaned for support against a tree.
His eyes moved around, drinking in the landscape with the practised vigilance of a survivor.
Ahead, the trees parted to reveal a gaping hole in the earth a sinkhole rimmed with roots and stones, the latter seeming to glitter in the poor light.
Fowad's pulse quickened. This wasn't a natural formation. The edges were too smooth, the space too deliberately shaped.
Sadi's eyes narrowed. "An old ruin," he muttered, a spark of recognition flaring in his gaze.
"The stories said there once was a city in the sapling forest, many people try to find it, but it was lost. Now here it is."
Fowad continued to lean forward into the sinkhole, his curiosity at war with the growing tide of unease in his stomach.
Below him, the space was dark, though there was a hint of some sort of blue light dancing down its walls, almost like veins pulsating with life.
Come," said Sadi, his voice barely above a whisper as he took a cautious step forward. His movements strained, the pain pushed him onward, determination outweighing it.
Fowad followed him down the rough, makeshift path leading into the hidden ruin, cool air swooping up from the depths and carrying with it scents of stone and something older, more arcane.
As they reached the bottom, the light intensified, and carvings began to appear around them, carvings like nothing they had ever seen.
They were filled with symbols and scenes that shifted when looked upon from different angles. Fowad's breath caught in his throat.
The carvings depicted men and beasts knitted in battle, figures wielding power bursting from their very souls.
In the middle, one figure stood alone with a wreath of flames above his head, a serpentine dragon-like creature coiled at his feet.
"Is this.?" Fowad whispered, his voice dwindling as his fingers passed over one of the carvings.
The stone was cold, but a strange energy seemed to seep through, tickling his skin.
The First Tamer," Sadi breathed, his voice full of wonder. "These are the stories of our bloodline, the Benits.
They say that our ancestor tamed the first true spirit beast-an emperor among beast.
His voice faltered to a racking cough that shook his body. He steadied himself against the wall, eyes clouded with pain and something else-regret.
Fowad's gaze cut to his father. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, a tinge of betrayal creeping into his voice.
Sadi's jaw tightened. "Because knowing our past comes with its own burden, and we were not ready. But now, there is no choice.
But before Fowad could answer, the carvings appeared to shimmer, their blue veins aglow brighter in the stone.
Then a pulse of energy swept through the room and Fowad stumbled backward, eyes wide as the carvings came alive.
Figures moved through scenes of war and triumph and uneasy peace. And then the images changed.
A hooded figure emerged from behind the carvings, its eyes like twin coals burning with malevolent light.
Others knelt around it, bound by chains flickering with dark energy.
The scene shifted to reveal the hooded figure's hand outstretched, reaching toward a cluster of eggs, each radiating a faint glow.
The largest egg, dark and pulsing with crimson light, cracked under the weight of the figure's will, releasing tendrils of shadow coiling and writhing like living things.
A sharp pain lanced through Fowad's head and the vision blurred as a voice cut through the space-cold, commanding, and familiar.
"The world is but a game, and I hold the pieces."
Fowad gasped, his voice sending vibrations through his skull, making bones hum. It was not a sound; it was an invasion-a thought pressed into his mind with such force that left him short of breath.
"Fowad!" Sadi's voice cut through the haze, sharp with fear as he reached for his son, his eyes wide, the glow of the carvings casting shadows across his face.
Life pulsed in the ruin, an echo of times past, threatening to rise to the surface.
The voice was softer now, a gentle whisper slithering into the corners of Fowad's mind.
"The egg must not awaken. or all will be lost."
He wrapped his arms around his head, going to his knees as the pain ebbed and the room fell silent once more.
The glow ebbed, and the carvings returned to their lifeless state, the energy that animated them receding like a tide.
Sadi dropped beside him, wincing as he shifted. "What did you see?" he asked, voice tight.
Fowad shook his head, eyes wide and unfocused. "An enemy," he whispered, the words trembling on his lips. "One who's been watching us, waiting.
They know about the egg, Father. They know everything.
A shadow fell across Sadi's face, and he gazed at the egg in Fowad's satchel. For the first time, real fear fluttered in his eyes.
"We need to go," he said, the urgency replacing the awe of moments before. "Now."
Fowad's body protested with a scream as he pushed himself up, his legs shaking beneath him.
The fox spirit beast, which had followed them from the clearing, let out a low growl-the ears flattened in its nervous pacing.
It sensed what they now knew: that danger was coming, and it would not be far behind.
Writhing from the ruin, the weight of the vision clung to Fowad like a second skin.
Events around them were in flux; treads of fates crossed in ways he could hardly understand.
Right at the center of this was the egg, softly pulsing as if in defiance of the warning.
With every step, Fowad felt the weight of his bloodline-of the unseen enemy that waited in the shadows.
But buried beneath the fear, a resolve had begun to bloom-a resolve that whispered in return to the voice which had haunted him.
Let them come. We are Benit, and we shall not be broken
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