Chapter 10 - Shadows in the Forest
Rylan woke to the faint sound of birdsong and the golden light of dawn filtering through the trees. His bird stirred beside him, stretching its wings and letting out a soft trill. He smiled faintly, brushing the dirt from his clothes as he stood and stretched. The strange collar sat at the edge of the firepit, catching the morning light.
He picked it up again, running his fingers over the faint runes. They seemed to pulse faintly in the sunlight, though he couldn't tell if it was his imagination or something more. The bird fluttered to his shoulder, its eye fixed on the collar.
"You're still thinking about this thing too, huh?" Rylan murmured. He slid it back into his bag. "We'll figure it out. But first, we need to keep moving."
They left the clearing, following the stream deeper into the woods. The trees grew thicker as they walked, the forest coming alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal cries. Every now and then, Rylan caught himself glancing over his shoulder, half expecting Tobin to emerge from the shadows with some smug remark. But the woods remained empty.
Rylan's thoughts drifted as they walked. Elder Fynn's words still rang in his ears—the Regional Ascension Tournament, the promise of proving himself on a larger stage. It was exciting, but it also felt overwhelming. He'd barely survived the trials in his own village. How could he possibly compete against tamers from all over the region?
The bird let out a sharp chirp, snapping him out of his thoughts. Rylan stopped, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
The bird's feathers flared faintly, its gaze locked on the trees ahead. Rylan squinted, trying to see what had caught its attention, but the forest was still. Too still.
The silence was broken by a sudden rustling in the underbrush. Rylan tensed, drawing his sword as a figure stepped into view. For a moment, relief flooded him—it wasn't a beast, but a human. Then he noticed the stranger's sharp gaze and the dagger hanging loosely at their side.
"Lost, are you?" the figure asked, their voice smooth but edged with something dangerous. They wore a tattered cloak, their face partially obscured by a hood.
Rylan tightened his grip on his sword. "Just passing through."
The stranger's eyes flicked to the bird on his shoulder, and their expression shifted, a flicker of recognition crossing their face.
"That's quite the companion you've got there," they said, stepping closer.
Rylan took a step back, his instincts screaming at him to stay on guard. The bird chirped, its feathers glowing faintly.
"I'm not looking for trouble," Rylan said carefully.
The stranger's smile widened. "Oh, I think you've already found it."
They lunged.
Rylan barely had time to react, raising his sword to block the dagger aimed at his chest. The clang of metal echoed through the trees as they clashed, the stranger moving with startling speed.
The bird launched itself from Rylan's shoulder, its wings blazing with golden light. The stranger cursed, shielding their eyes as the bird swooped low, raking its talons across their arm.
Rylan took the opening, stepping forward with a slash aimed at their side. The stranger dodged, their cloak billowing as they spun away, but their movements had slowed.
"You've got some fight in you," the stranger said, their tone laced with amusement. "But that bird… now that's something special."
They moved to attack again, but the bird dived once more, its light flaring brighter. The stranger stumbled, their movements faltering as they tried to shield their face from the dazzling glow. Rylan didn't hesitate. He surged forward, his blade cutting through the air in a clean arc.
The stranger cried out as the sword grazed their arm, dropping their dagger and staggering back. For a moment, they locked eyes with Rylan, their expression unreadable.
"You'll regret this," they hissed, before disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
Rylan stood frozen, his chest heaving. The bird landed on his shoulder, its eye still locked on the spot where the stranger had vanished.
"Well, that wasn't ominous," Rylan muttered, lowering his sword.
He looked down at the dagger the stranger had left behind, its blade curved and etched with strange markings that made his stomach churn. He picked it up gingerly, turning it over in his hands.
"What were they after?" he murmured.
The bird let out a low trill, its feathers ruffling.
Rylan slid the dagger into his bag beside the collar, his thoughts swirling. He couldn't shake the feeling that these weren't just random attacks—there was something connecting these strange artifacts and the people who seemed so desperate to take them.
"We need to figure out what's going on," he said, his voice firm. "But first, we need to get out of these woods."
The bird chirped softly, and they continued deeper into the forest, the trees seeming to close in around them.
The next few hours passed uneventfully, though Rylan's grip on his sword never loosened. The forest felt heavier now, as though something unseen was watching their every move.
When they finally emerged from the trees, the sight of a small town in the distance made Rylan's shoulders sag with relief. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, and the faint sound of laughter and conversation drifted on the breeze.
"We'll stop here," Rylan said, glancing at the bird. "Maybe we can get some answers—or at least a proper meal."
The bird chirped in agreement, its feathers dimming as it relaxed.
As they approached the town, Rylan couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. The journey ahead was still uncertain, but for the first time, he felt like he wasn't completely in over his head.
They had made it this far. And together, they would make it even farther.
End of Chapter 10