The wind howled through the rocky mountain pass, bringing with it the chilling cold that penetrated the thickest of cloaks. Jin stood at the edge of the cliff, his penetrating gray eyes focused on the concrete extension of the horizon. Beneath him lay the sprawling forests of Eclipsa, endless under his view, where green seemed almost serene from this height. But Jin was all too aware. Underneath that placid exterior bubbled a storm inside the colony itself, a hub of happenings that had begun rippling far beyond its boundaries.
Cloak hood pulled far forward, allowing it to descend over his sharp features in shadow, Jin had observed Eclipsa for weeks. During that time, he had seen the people, their ways, and the first stirrings of power finally beginning to show up. His place within the Azarite clan was simple enough: dispassionate observation and synthesis, reports on threats and opportunities. But even through his many experiences, something of that Eclipsa had really felt different. There was almost a faint energy in the air, a stirring that he could not quite solidify.
With the arrival of Adi, Jin's views had been further confirmed. Jin had seen the hunter enter the colony, that fire burning brightly from his distance. Adi was undeniably powerful, yet for what? Why would a man like him, someone comfortable keeping forty paces from colony life, take an interest in a place so mundane as Eclipsa? And more importantly, what connection did he have with the boy, Orion?
Jin's lips pressed together thinly as he recalled the reports. Orion was too young, inexperienced, and, all right, common enough. His Luminous Aura was weak, barely noticed even in the crowd. Still, Adi had searched him out and spoke of greatness and power. Jin couldn't quite fathom the hunter saw in the boy, but he knew all the same not to dismiss it out of hand. Adi was just not that kind of man to waste time on empty pursuits.
Behind him came a growl low enough to be terrifying. Jin turned around to see the broad figure, just a few paces behind him. With his broad shoulders and rugged look, he was obviously a member of the Wolf Clan due to the primal strength and fierce loyalty attributed to it.
"The boy," commented the man deep inside with fondness, sounded gravelly. "Think he is worth this much attention?"
Jin crossed his arms, his expression inscrutable. "It remains to be seen. However, that he has clutched the attention of Adi is in itself worthy of observation. The Ember Aura hunter does not take action without cause."
The Wolf Clan warrior nodded slowly-more so in acquiescence than agreement. His amber eyes glistened faintly in the gloom. We will keep a watch on him. If he turns out to be a threat..." his sentence trailed off, suggesting a myriad of implications.
Jin did not speak, turning back to the horizon. For now, it was to observe and wait. Pieces were moving, and Eclipsa stood at their nexus. But whether this boy, Orion, rose to test the impending challenges or was crushed by them was a question of time alone.
-----
Meanwhile, Caden, in the remote district of Eclipsa, was restless in his small workshop. The room was filled with tools, workstations cluttered with half-finished machines, blueprints all over the wooden table. Most of the time, working on his projects calmed him. But, this moment his mind was forever elsewhere.
Adi. Just that name disturbed him. That man's presence in the colony was like a fire in a dry forest—a very possible danger capable of igniting chaos at any time. But what troubled Caden even more was Adi's interest in Orion.
Caden ran a hand through untamed brown hair, blue eyes clouding with deep thought. Orion was his childhood friend with whom he shared a great bond of trust. But on another level, he was... just an ordinary person. At least this was how Caden had always viewed him. The Luminous Aura that radiated from Orion was faint and barely discernible. Neither had he given signs of the raw power or talent associated with anyone capable of great deeds.
Why would Adi waste his time with someone like Orion? Why would a man blessed with an Ember Aura and holding clan bonds waste time on Orion? What had he seen in him that nobody had? The question gnawed on Caden, filling him with just a mix of trepidation and curiosity.
"Potential." Caden muttered under his breath in recollection of Adi's words. It made no sense. If Orion had potential, why had he failed to show that promise earlier? Why had he spent his entire life in this colony in silence and anonymity?
The thought made Caden's chest tighten with worry. He had always seen himself as someone who needed to protect those around him, and Orion was no exception. The idea of his friend being dragged into something beyond his understanding, something dangerous, made Caden's blood boil.
But what could he do? Adi was far beyond his own abilities, and the clans were not to be trifled with. All Caden could do was watch over Orion and hope that his friend's decision to stay away from Adi would hold firm.
"Stay out of trouble, Orion," he muttered to himself, his fists clenching at his sides. "You've got no idea what kind of mess you're walking into."
-----
Looking down from a hillcrest high above the forest and the colony, Jin stood silently with the Wolf Clan warrior. Both watched distant lights of Eclipsa. Not a trace of emotion crossed their expressions. The game was underway, with each player playing his part. For Jin, this was just the beginning.
"Keep watching," Jin finally said, his voice barely a whisper. "Something's coming. And when it does, we'll be ready."
The Wolf Clan warrior nodded, his eyes gleaming with predatory intensity. They blended together into the enveloping dark, their passing more than a whisper in a growing storm.