The forest was silent, too silent. Kael's heart was still racing from the encounter with the monstrous guardian, and the remnants of fear lingered in his veins like a dark, sluggish river. The creature's amber eyes burned into his mind as he continued down the narrow path, the forest around him seeming to close in, its shadows stretching and creeping with the subtle movement of the trees.
He had survived the first test, but Kael knew that this was only the beginning. The orb pulsed in his satchel, its steady rhythm like a heartbeat in his chest. But its warmth brought little comfort now. Instead, it was a constant reminder that the forces stirring in the shadows were growing stronger—and more dangerous by the day.
Kael traveled for hours, the forest seemingly endless. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of the orb pressing against him, urging him forward. Despite the lingering dread, the path remained clear. There were no further attacks, no more beasts leaping from the shadows. The silence of the forest became suffocating, and Kael couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him—always just beyond his peripheral vision, as if the very trees themselves were waiting for him to falter.
By the time the sun sank beneath the horizon, Kael had reached the heart of the forest. Here, the trees grew even more twisted and ancient, their bark blackened and gnarled, as though they had witnessed the passing of centuries without rest. A soft, cold wind whispered through the branches, carrying with it strange murmurs that seemed to be too clear, too deliberate, for the wind alone.
Kael stopped, his hand going to his dagger once more. The whispers grew louder, rising into a cacophony that filled his ears. He could make out no words, only the eerie feeling that they were meant for him. His grip tightened on the hilt of his dagger, ready for whatever might come.
And then, as if in answer to his unspoken fear, a figure emerged from the darkness.
It was a woman, tall and slender, cloaked in dark robes that seemed to shimmer like smoke. Her face was obscured by a hood, but her presence was undeniable—an aura of ancient power radiated from her like a dark star, pulling Kael's gaze toward her.
"Who are you?" Kael demanded, his voice steady despite the tremor in his chest.
The woman didn't respond at first. Instead, she stepped forward, the whispers quieting as she moved, leaving a cold silence in her wake. Her feet did not seem to touch the ground, and her movements were fluid, almost ethereal.
"I am called Lysandra," the woman said, her voice a soft, melodic sound that seemed to drift on the wind. "But you may call me what you will."
Kael's pulse quickened. There was something about her that felt wrong, as if she didn't belong in this world at all. The whispers were still there, faint but growing louder, like an invisible crowd pressing in from all sides.
"What do you want with me?" Kael asked, his hand tightening around the dagger.
Lysandra's lips curved into a faint smile, though her eyes remained hidden in shadow. "I do not wish harm to you, Kael. But harm is inevitable, given the path you have chosen."
Kael tensed, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. "What do you know about my path?"
She stepped closer, the whispers subsiding to a soft murmur, as if the very air itself hung on her every word. "I know that you carry the Flame. The orb that pulses in your pack is no ordinary artifact. It is the key to the rebirth of the dragons—and the downfall of the Ashen Covenant."
Kael's breath caught in his throat. "You… you know about the Ashen Covenant?"
"I know more than you realize," Lysandra replied, her voice low and grave. "The Ashen Covenant has been hunting the last bondkeeper for centuries, seeking to destroy all that remains of the dragons and the Flame. But they do not know the full truth. They do not know what the Flame truly is… or what it can do."
Kael's mind raced. He had only the smallest pieces of the puzzle. He had known that the Ashen Covenant sought to extinguish the dragons, but the idea that they didn't understand the full power of the Flame—it was both reassuring and terrifying.
"What are you saying?" Kael asked, stepping back, trying to gather his thoughts. "What do they not know?"
Lysandra's eyes gleamed faintly beneath her hood, her lips curling into something that might have been a smile—or a warning. "They do not understand the true nature of the First Flame. It is not just a source of power, Kael. It is a living force. A force that was born when the world itself was created. When the First Bondkeeper forged the pact between the dragons and their keepers, the Flame became a part of them, a part of the world. The Ashen Covenant seeks to control it, to siphon its power to maintain their dominion, but they cannot control what they do not understand."
Kael's mind spun. "But… why me? Why is the Flame calling to me?"
Lysandra's gaze sharpened. "Because you are the last of the bondkeepers, Kael. Your bloodline carries the Flame's essence within it, but it has been dormant, hidden in the shadows for centuries. The orb you carry is but a fraction of what you are meant to awaken. You must understand this: the Flame chose you. It calls to you not just to restore the dragons, but to restore balance to this world."
Kael took a step back, his hand instinctively going to the orb, though it felt heavy and alien in his grasp. "I'm just a scribe. I don't know how to—"
"Knowledge is not always found in books," Lysandra interrupted, her voice like a soft wind. "You are not the first to question your destiny. But you are the first to bear the Flame in its purest form. The dragons are waiting, Kael. They know you are coming. They know you will be their salvation."
A strange warmth spread through Kael's chest, and he could feel the orb's pulse growing stronger in his bag. It was almost as if the orb was reacting to Lysandra's words, answering her call. But at the same time, something deep within him warned him to be cautious.
"Why are you telling me this?" Kael asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. "What do you want from me?"
Lysandra's smile faded, and her eyes flashed with an unreadable emotion. "I want nothing, Kael. But the world is on the verge of change. The Ashen Covenant has begun their hunt, and time is running out. You must reach the Mountain of Fire before they do. The dragons are bound there, and it is there that you will find the truth about the Flame, about your legacy. Do not waste time on questions. There is no more time for hesitation."
Kael stared at her, his thoughts racing. Her words seemed to weigh on him like a heavy mantle, and the urgency in her tone left no room for doubt.
He nodded slowly, still unsure whether to trust her or not. "And if I fail?"
Lysandra's eyes softened, though the dark intensity never left them. "If you fail, Kael, then all will be lost. The Flame will be extinguished, and with it, any hope for the dragons and the future of this world."
Without another word, Lysandra turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Kael alone with his thoughts and the growing sense of urgency.
Kael stood there for a long moment, the weight of her words pressing down on him. The orb pulsed again, its warmth filling him with a sense of purpose that was hard to ignore.
He had no choice now. There was no turning back.
He had to find the Mountain of Fire, and he had to do it before the Ashen Covenant did.