The journey through the mountains grew more treacherous with every passing hour. The air thinned, making every breath feel like a struggle. Calen felt the weight of his newfound responsibility hanging heavily on his shoulders. Despite the icy winds and the looming threat of the empire, he couldn't shake the feeling that something even darker was brewing on the horizon.
Vera's presence had shifted the group's dynamic. Her arrival had been jarring, and her cold, calculating demeanor unsettled him. Yet there was an undeniable strength in her, a sharpness that Calen couldn't ignore. Ronan, who had once been a steady rock, now seemed to be grappling with something unspoken between them.
"You think we should trust her?" Calen asked quietly, his gaze flicking to Vera, who was walking ahead, her eyes scanning the mountain terrain.
Ronan's expression was unreadable. "She saved us, didn't she? And besides, I don't have much of a choice. She's been a part of my life longer than you can imagine."
Calen didn't press him further. The last thing he needed was to dig up more buried pasts. But Vera's words from earlier haunted him: The empire's not just after your village. They're after you, Calen.
The group pressed on, moving quickly and quietly, but Calen could feel the weight of their journey closing in. They passed through narrow passes, clinging to the sides of cliffs that seemed to rise endlessly. The mountain winds howled, biting at their exposed skin.
"You're lucky," Ronan muttered as they neared a particularly steep section of the path. "I didn't think I'd be teaching you how to climb mountains in your first few weeks of training."
Calen shot him a look, panting from the effort. "Maybe if I had a horse like you, I wouldn't be panting like a dog."
Ronan chuckled, offering his hand to pull Calen up a particularly treacherous ledge. "You might be able to catch up to me then, but I'd still be the one leading the way. No magic, no shortcut to that."
"I'm working on it," Calen shot back, his voice wry. "But you know, the magic doesn't come with a manual. If you have any tips on how to not destroy everyone in my path with a gust of wind, I'm all ears."
Seris, who had been silent until then, gave a small smirk. "Well, you could start by not trying to send your enemies flying off the side of the cliff every time you get nervous."
Calen groaned in frustration. "I didn't mean to do that last time."
Vera, who had been quietly listening, turned her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well, if your magic is anything like your sword skills, you might want to practice it somewhere that doesn't involve cliffs and mountains."
"Right," Calen grumbled, as they continued their ascent. "Maybe I should just throw myself into a training pit and see what happens."
The group shared a light laugh, the tension easing for a moment. But as they reached the summit, the laughter died in their throats. Before them, an ancient stone structure loomed—half-destroyed by time, its dark silhouette stark against the gray sky.
"Looks like we found something," Ronan murmured.
Vera's eyes narrowed. "A ruin. But not just any ruin. We're not alone here."
The ground seemed to hum beneath their feet, a low vibration that sent a shiver up Calen's spine. Something was wrong.
"Let's move," Ronan ordered, his tone suddenly serious.