Luma sat cross-legged, her small hands resting on her knees as she closed her eyes in concentration. Around her, a faint purple light began to glow, enveloping her like an ethereal mist. It was an impressive sight. After a few minutes, the light faded, and she opened her eyes with a radiant smile.
"I've filled 20% of my crystal now!" she announced gleefully, her voice brimming with pride.
Brana, who was nearby, couldn't help but smile at her words. Luma, even in the face of all their hardships, maintained a positive energy that was almost contagious. He knew that without her, he might have already lost hope.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he visualized his own crystal. Inside, a green-blue essence pulsed, filling just over a fifth of the total space. "21%," he muttered to himself, feeling a small sense of pride in his progress, though he was also puzzled by how difficult it was to advance.
Kaldor, however, was the most impressive. He had already filled 30% of his crystal, far surpassing the siblings. The most curious thing, though, was that Kaldor's essence remained gray. Brana didn't understand what that meant.
The most surprising of their discoveries, however, was noticing that the more they filled their crystals, the stronger they became. Their physical strength and recovery had clearly improved. Luma, for example, could now hunt on her own. On a recent morning, she had brought back an Elchorn, the giant bat with translucent wings that reflected the ambient light. It was an agile creature, but Luma had managed to take it down with surprising precision.
Kaldor, on the other hand, seemed to be manifesting his essence physically. Once, he demonstrated how his fist, covered in gray energy, could leave a deep mark on a large tree. The power was undeniable, but the effort visibly drained him. "It still consumes too much energy," he said, breathing heavily. "I need to be more efficient before considering using it in combat."
Brana watched all of this with admiration but also a touch of frustration. He knew Luma's progress was tied to her special ability, while Kaldor was already experienced with something akin to the power of this world. As for himself, he felt behind but was determined to keep pushing forward.
The group followed a structured routine: in the mornings, they hunted and explored. Afterward, they split off into their individual activities. Kaldor enjoyed exploring the surroundings and training with his spear, honing his combat techniques. Luma, on the other hand, spent hours writing in one of the notebooks they had found during their expeditions.
One day, curious, Brana asked what she was writing so diligently. To his surprise, the pages were filled with detailed notes about the creatures they encountered—their weaknesses, habits, and even observations about herbs and their potential uses, many of which Kaldor had taught them. Some information, however, even the elf didn't know. It was the result of Luma's meticulous observation.
"You figured all of this out on your own?" he asked, impressed.
Luma smiled, visibly proud. "Of course! It's important to understand what we're up against. And who knows, this might save us one day."
Brana shook his head in admiration. His sister was smarter than he often gave her credit for.
Meanwhile, Brana focused on better understanding his ability, the Bard's Blessing. He conducted various tests, trying to activate the effects without relying on a combat situation. At first, he thought the ability only manifested when he was in danger or hunting, but there were more nuances than he had realized.
During one of their hunts, he discovered that any kind of melody or rhythm he could connect with would activate the ability. Even after the sound disappeared, the effects lingered for several minutes. The deeper his immersion in the initial sound, the more intense and longer-lasting the effects were. These included enhanced reflexes, increased strength, and impressive agility, as if the world around him slowed down.
However, there was a significant problem. "I can't just start singing or whistling in the middle of a fight," Brana thought, laughing at the mental image. He needed to find a way to activate the ability reliably and practically. After several hours, he decided he had worked enough for the day. He lay down on his makeshift bed, knowing it would be his turn to take watch that night.
As the forest quieted under the moonlight, Brana sat near the fire, keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings. Kaldor slept nearby, and Luma was curled up in her small bed of leaves and cloth. The world seemed momentarily calm, but Brana knew this peace was only a façade. In Enkaryon, true peace never lasted long.
The night was serene, the light of the three moons falling softly on the forest, and the distant sound of the stream filled the silence. Brana remained alert near the fire, his eyes scanning the shadows among the trees. Even in this brief moment of tranquility, he knew danger was never far.
His thoughts wandered to the progress they had made in recent weeks. Despite the challenges, he felt they were growing more prepared each day. His ability was becoming something tangible, something he could rely on, though there was still much to learn. He needed more time to explore its possibilities and develop strategies. After all, depending on melody or rhythm in life-or-death situations didn't seem like a reliable solution.
Minutes dragged on as he fought against fatigue. Finally, he decided to wake Kaldor to take the next watch. He walked over to the dark elf, lightly tapping his shoulder. "Your turn," he whispered.
Kaldor nodded silently and rose with the natural grace of someone accustomed to danger. "Rest, boy. Tomorrow will be a long day," he said before taking his position, scanning the forest like a predator on the prowl.
Brana lay down on his makeshift bed. As uncomfortable as it was, exhaustion quickly overtook him, and he fell into a deep sleep.
It felt like Brana had barely closed his eyes. The accumulated fatigue of the past days dragged him into a heavy sleep, but it seemed as though only seconds had passed before he was shaken awake by small hands, urgency in their movements.
"Brana! Brana, wake up!"
Luma's anxious voice pierced the veil of sleep, making him open his eyes slowly. He blinked against the faint firelight, trying to adjust his vision and make sense of what was happening. Her tone, usually sweet, was now laden with worry. "Luma, what is it?" he mumbled, his heart racing as he tried to shake off his confusion.
Kaldor approached with firm steps. "We have company," he said, pointing toward the forest. His voice was calm, but there was a gravity to it that put Brana on immediate alert.
Brana quickly got up and followed Kaldor's gaze. On the horizon, among the trees, he could make out figures moving. They were hard to see at a distance, but the sounds of shouting and a fierce battle echoed through the night.
"There are five people," Kaldor said, gripping his spear tightly. "Four men and one woman. They're fighting a group of Elchorns."
A chill ran down Brana's spine at the mention of the creatures. The Elchorns, with their translucent wings and luminous reflections, were fast and relentless predators. Even for an armed group, fighting them wasn't an easy task.
As the figures fought, the moonlight briefly illuminated one of their faces, and Brana felt his heart skip a beat. A familiar silhouette caught his attention. He squinted, trying to be sure. "I know that person..." he murmured, his mind racing with the possibility.
Before he could say more, Kaldor placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stay sharp. Let's observe before we make any decisions. They might not be friends," he warned.
Brana nodded slowly, but his mind was fixated on the familiar figure. Who was that person? The mystery consumed him as the sounds of battle echoed through the forest, casting shadows of uncertainty over what lay ahead.