The fog in the Korath Desert was not natural. Kael Valeron knew that much as he trudged forward, his armor weighed down by years of wear and regret. Each step felt heavier than the last as if the sands themselves wanted him to stop, to turn back. But retreat was no longer an option.
In his hands, he carried the fractured hilt of an elven blade. The shards of its once-pristine edge were tucked into a leather pouch at his side. Despite its shattered state, the blade still pulsed faintly with an eerie, green light, as if alive—or perhaps unwilling to die.
Kael paused at the crest of a dune and scanned the horizon. In the distance, faint outlines of jagged ruins jutted out of the sands like the bones of some ancient beast. That was his destination—the remnants of Velyn'dor, an elven outpost destroyed long before the Conjunction of the Spheres.
"Velyn'dor," Kael muttered, his voice dry and hoarse.
"Talking to yourself again, knight?"
Kael turned sharply, hand instinctively reaching for the sword that wasn't there. Behind him stood a figure draped in black, her raven hair glistening like onyx under the pale light of the desert moon. Yennefer of Vengerberg crossed her arms and tilted her head, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
"You're late," Kael said, exhaling as he let his hand fall back to his side.
"Am I?" Yennefer replied, stepping closer. Her violet eyes glimmered with amusement as she glanced at the hilt in his hand. "You're the one dragging his feet. I told you—this isn't just a scavenger hunt. If the blade is reassembled, it'll draw attention. The kind you won't survive alone."
"I didn't ask for your help."
"No," she said, raising an eyebrow. "But you'll need it."
---
The ruins of Velyn'dor loomed ahead, their ancient stones half-buried in shifting sands. The air here was thick with an unnatural chill, and the faint whispers of magic seemed to hum just beyond hearing.
Kael and Yennefer moved carefully, their eyes scanning the shadows for threats. Kael, stripped of his sword and former glory, felt the weight of vulnerability pressing down on him. It wasn't just the lack of a weapon—Yennefer's presence was another reminder of his failures.
"Why did you agree to this?" Kael asked, breaking the silence.
"I have my reasons," Yennefer said curtly. She didn't elaborate, and Kael didn't push.
They reached the central courtyard of the ruins, where a massive stone obelisk stood, its surface etched with glowing runes. Yennefer stepped forward, her hands outstretched as she began murmuring an incantation. The runes flared to life, bathing the courtyard in an eerie green light.
"The shard is here," she said, her voice laced with urgency. "But we're not alone."
As if on cue, a low growl echoed through the ruins. Kael's hand again went to the empty scabbard at his side, cursing himself for his unpreparedness. From the shadows emerged a creature—a massive, wolf-like beast with glowing red eyes and fur that seemed to shift like smoke.
"A wraithhound," Yennefer said, her tone calm but tense. "Nasty things. Likes to feast on guilt."
The beast lunged, its claws raking through the air. Kael dove to the side, rolling across the sand as Yennefer unleashed a blast of fire. The flames struck the wraithhound, but instead of recoiling, the creature absorbed the fire, its form growing larger and more menacing.
"Well, that's new," Yennefer muttered.
Kael scrambled to his feet, his eyes darting to the obelisk. "The shard—if we get it, can it stop this thing?"
Yennefer hesitated, then nodded. "It's a gamble, but it's all we've got."
"Then cover me."
Without waiting for a response, Kael sprinted toward the obelisk. The wraithhound snarled and turned its glowing eyes on him, but Yennefer was already moving. She conjured a barrier of crackling energy, momentarily halting the beast's advance.
Kael reached the obelisk and placed the hilt of the broken blade against the glowing runes. The reaction was immediate—light erupted from the stone, and the shards in his pouch flew out, assembling themselves in midair. The blade began to reform, its edges gleaming with an unnatural green light.
But as the weapon took shape, Kael felt a searing pain in his chest. Memories he had buried long ago surged to the surface—his betrayal, the blood on his hands, the faces of those he had failed. The blade was drawing from his guilt, feeding on his anguish.
"Kael!" Yennefer's voice snapped him back to the present. The wraithhound had broken through her barrier and was charging straight at him.
With a roar, Kael seized the reforged blade and swung it in a wide arc. The weapon cleaved through the air, leaving a trail of green fire in its wake. The wraithhound howled as the blade struck, its form unraveling into wisps of smoke.
Kael fell to his knees, the blade still glowing faintly in his hand. His breath came in ragged gasps, and the weight of the weapon felt heavier than any sword he had ever wielded.
Yennefer approached cautiously, her violet eyes studying him. "You did it," she said softly.
Kael looked up at her, his expression weary. "At what cost?"
---
As they left the ruins, the shattered blade now whole and strapped to Kael's back, a new tension hung between them. Yennefer had seen the toll the blade had taken on him, and though she didn't say it, she knew the weapon was more curse than boon.
"You're not done yet," she said as they reached the edge of the desert.
Kael glanced at her, his gray eyes cold and unyielding. "I never expected to be."
In the distance, the faint silhouette of a rider appeared on the horizon, his form shrouded in shadow. The Wild Hunt was coming.
The eerie stillness of the Korath Desert was broken only by the rhythmic clinking of Kael's armor as he and Yennefer trudged through the shifting sands. The reforged blade strapped across Kael's back pulsed faintly, casting a sickly green glow that seemed to sap warmth from the air around them.
Kael glanced at the horizon, where the rider he had seen earlier was no longer visible. That should have been comforting, but instead, it felt like the calm before the storm.
"Do you feel that?" Yennefer asked suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence.
Kael stopped walking and focused. The faint hum of the blade's magic was ever-present, but beneath it, there was something else—a low, resonant thrum that seemed to echo in his chest.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Trouble," Yennefer replied grimly. She turned, her violet eyes scanning the dunes. "It's not the Wild Hunt, not yet. But something's following us."
Kael tightened his grip on the hilt of the reforged blade. The weapon's presence was both reassuring and unnerving; its power was undeniable, but he could feel it clawing at the edges of his mind, whispering promises of strength and control.
"Stay close," Yennefer said. She raised a hand, summoning a faint orb of light that hovered above them, illuminating the immediate area.
Kael didn't have time to respond before the sand beneath their feet began to shift.
---
The first attack came from below. A massive insectoid creature, its chitinous body gleaming in the magical light, erupted from the sand. Its pincers snapped dangerously close to Kael's leg, forcing him to leap back.
"Arachasae," Yennefer hissed, already weaving a spell. "They hunt in packs."
As if to prove her point, three more of the creatures emerged, their segmented bodies writhing as they surrounded the pair.
Kael drew the reforged blade, its green fire flaring to life as he swung at the nearest creature. The blade cleaved through its carapace with ease, splitting it in two. The creature let out a high-pitched screech before collapsing, its body disintegrating into black ash.
"They're drawn to the blade's magic!" Yennefer shouted, hurling a bolt of lightning at another arachasae. The spell struck true, frying the creature where it stood.
Kael gritted his teeth, focusing on the creatures. Each swing of the blade felt like it was draining him, pulling from his very essence. But he couldn't stop—not now.
Two more arachasae lunged at him simultaneously. Kael dodged one, then brought the blade down in a powerful arc, slicing through the second. The impact sent a shockwave of green energy rippling through the sand, momentarily scattering the remaining creatures.
Yennefer seized the opportunity to cast a wide-area spell. A surge of fire erupted from her hands, engulfing the remaining arachasae. Their shrieks echoed into the night before they, too, turned to ash.
Kael dropped to one knee, panting. The blade's glow dimmed, but its weight felt heavier than ever.
"Are you all right?" Yennefer asked, kneeling beside him.
Kael nodded, though he wasn't entirely sure. "The blade... it's taking something from me."
"I warned you," Yennefer said, her tone softer than he expected. "Power like that always comes with a price. You have to learn to control it, or it'll consume you."
---
The rest of their journey through the desert passed in tense silence. When they finally reached the outskirts of a small village nestled in the shadow of a rocky ridge, the sight of civilization should have been a relief. But the air here was heavy, thick with unease.
Kael and Yennefer approached cautiously, their eyes scanning the darkened streets. The village was eerily quiet, its buildings dark and abandoned.
"Something's wrong," Kael said, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
Yennefer nodded, her expression grim. "Stay close."
They entered the village, their footsteps echoing on the cobblestone streets. The faint scent of decay hung in the air, and Kael's unease grew with each passing moment.
At the center of the village, they found the source of the disturbance. A massive spectral figure loomed over the square, its form shifting and flickering like a flame. The creature's hollow eyes fixed on them as it let out a low, guttural growl.
"A specter," Yennefer said, her voice tight. "And a powerful one."
Kael drew the reforged blade, its green fire springing to life. The specter recoiled slightly at the sight of the weapon, but it didn't retreat.
"Can you banish it?" Kael asked, keeping his eyes on the creature.
"I can try," Yennefer replied, already beginning to chant an incantation. "But I'll need time. Keep it occupied."
The specter let out a bone-chilling howl and charged. Kael met it head-on, the blade cutting through its ethereal form. The creature screeched in pain but retaliated, its massive claws slashing at Kael. He barely managed to block the attack, the force of the blow sending him staggering backward.
The blade flared brighter as Kael attacked again, his strikes growing more desperate. The specter was relentless, each of its attacks coming faster and harder than the last. Kael could feel the blade's power coursing through him, demanding more, pushing him to the brink.
"Kael, hold on!" Yennefer shouted, her voice strained.
With a final, desperate swing, Kael drove the blade into the specter's chest. The creature let out a deafening roar as it began to dissolve, its form breaking apart into wisps of shadow.
Kael collapsed to his knees, the blade slipping from his grasp. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought he might pass out.
"Kael!" Yennefer was at his side, her hands glowing with healing magic.
"I'm fine," he muttered, though the trembling in his hands betrayed him.
Yennefer didn't look convinced. "You're pushing yourself too hard. If you don't learn to control that blade—"
"I don't have a choice," Kael interrupted, his voice sharper than he intended. "The Wild Hunt is coming. If I don't stop them, no one will."
Yennefer's expression softened, but she didn't argue. Instead, she helped him to his feet.
"Come on," she said. "We need to find somewhere to rest. And we need answers."
---
As they left the village, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The blade's whispers grew louder, more insistent, as if urging him to keep going, to embrace its power.
In the distance, the faint sound of hoofbeats echoed through the night.
The Wild Hunt was closer than ever.