Kaelyn and Darian moved quickly through Eldergate's labyrinthine streets, their breaths clouding in the cool night air. The pendant pulsed faintly beneath her tunic, its warmth seeping through the fabric and into her skin. She clutched it instinctively, as though holding it tighter might somehow protect her.
"Where exactly are we going?" Darian whispered, his tone unusually serious.
"Out of the city," Kaelyn replied without looking back. "The Shadows have spies everywhere. If they catch us, we're as good as dead."
Darian's jaw tightened. "Great. And here I thought this was just going to be a quiet evening with cheap ale."
They rounded a corner into a quieter district, the sound of distant laughter and music fading behind them. Kaelyn scanned the alley for signs of movement. The Shadows weren't known for subtlety, but she wouldn't put it past them to set an ambush.
"You know," Darian said, his voice low, "if you'd tell me what's in that pouch of yours, I might actually be able to help."
Kaelyn hesitated. She didn't trust Darian—he was a bounty hunter, after all—but he'd already saved her life once tonight. If she kept him in the dark, it might cost both of them.
"It's… a pendant," she said finally. "I don't know much about it, but it's powerful. Dangerous. The Shadows want it, and I think others will, too."
Darian raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous, huh? And you're just carrying it around like a trinket?"
"I didn't exactly have a choice!" Kaelyn snapped, then immediately regretted her tone. She sighed. "Look, I didn't ask for any of this. The Shadows hired me for a delivery, and now—" She gestured vaguely, as if the chaos of the night spoke for itself.
Darian studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough. But if this thing is as powerful as you say, we're going to need more than a pair of knives to keep it safe."
Kaelyn didn't reply. Her thoughts were racing too fast. The pendant's voice—the warnings about the balance and the Pillars—lingered in her mind like a distant echo. What did it all mean? And why had the pendant chosen her?
They reached the edge of the city near the southern gates, where the buildings thinned and the cobblestones gave way to dirt roads. A pair of guards stood watch, their halberds gleaming in the moonlight.
"Let me do the talking," Darian murmured.
Before Kaelyn could protest, he strode forward, his easy grin back in place. "Evening, gentlemen! Lovely night, isn't it?"
The guards exchanged wary glances. "State your business," one of them said gruffly.
"Just a late-night stroll," Darian replied, spreading his arms in mock innocence. "The lady and I are heading out to visit family in Windmere. Figured it was safer to travel under the stars."
The guards' eyes flicked to Kaelyn, who forced a nervous smile. She could feel the pendant's warmth growing stronger, as if reacting to the scrutiny. Her heart pounded.
"Papers," the second guard demanded.
Darian's smile faltered. "Papers? Come on, friend, you've seen how busy the city's been. We didn't have time to get all the—"
The guard raised his halberd. "No papers, no passage."
Kaelyn's hand drifted toward her dagger, but before she could act, the pendant flared with light. A wave of heat rippled through the air, and the guards staggered, their weapons clattering to the ground. Both collapsed unconscious, leaving Kaelyn and Darian staring at the glowing pouch in stunned silence.
"What the hell was that?" Darian hissed.
Kaelyn didn't answer. She grabbed his arm, pulling him through the gate and into the open countryside beyond. They ran until the city walls were a distant silhouette against the horizon, the pendant's glow dimming with each step.
Finally, they stopped in a grove of trees, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Darian leaned against a trunk, glaring at her. "All right, Kaelyn. Enough. What is that thing?"
Kaelyn pulled the pendant from her pouch, holding it up so he could see. Its surface shimmered faintly, like sunlight on water, and the air around it seemed to hum.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But it's alive. It spoke to me."
Darian's eyes narrowed. "Spoke to you?"
"It said… the balance is broken. That I have to restore the Pillars. Whatever that means."
Darian ran a hand through his hair, muttering a curse under his breath. "Great. So now we're on some kind of magical scavenger hunt?"
Kaelyn shot him a glare. "You don't have to come."
"Oh, I'm coming," he said, his tone sharp. "If the Shadows are after this thing, they'll come after you. And if they catch you, they'll kill you—or worse. So unless you want to go it alone, you're stuck with me."
Kaelyn sighed, too tired to argue. "Fine. But we need a plan. The Shadows won't stop until they find us, and I doubt those mages back at the tavern were the only ones looking for this."
Darian nodded. "Agreed. First, we need to figure out what the pendant wants. If it's connected to the Pillars, we'll need to find someone who knows about them."
Kaelyn frowned. The Pillars were ancient history, long forgotten by most. Finding someone with that kind of knowledge wouldn't be easy.
"We'll start in Arclight," she said. "There's an old scholar there—Master Eryndor. If anyone knows about the Pillars, it's him."
Darian smirked. "Arclight, huh? Sounds like a lovely vacation spot."
Kaelyn ignored him, tucking the pendant back into her pouch. Her fingers lingered on its surface, and she felt a strange surge of determination. Whatever the pendant's purpose, she couldn't run from it.
The journey ahead would be dangerous, but she had no choice. The realms were at stake, and Kaelyn Darrow was about to take her first step toward saving them.
~To Be Continued~