Chapter 3: The Tempest Within
The roars outside grew louder, reverberating through the icy shrine like thunder in a storm. Eira tightened her grip on her dagger, her eyes darting toward the entrance. Kael leaned against the wall, blood dripping from a gash on his side. His frosted blade rested at his feet, its icy aura dimmer than before.
"We can't stay here," Eira said, her voice taut with urgency. "The Inferna are coming."
Kael pushed off the wall, wincing as he straightened. "The shrine's energy should slow them down, but you're right. We need to move."
Eira glanced at the relic, still hovering above the pedestal. Its glow pulsed steadily, filling the chamber with a soft, otherworldly light. "What happens if we take it?"
Kael wiped blood from his lip and gave her a grim look. "The relic's awakened now. Its power will attract every Inferna in the region. If we take it, we'll have a target on our backs."
"And if we leave it here?"
"They'll destroy it."
Eira sighed, her heart pounding. "Then we don't have a choice."
She reached for the relic, her fingers brushing against its surface. A jolt of energy shot through her, and for a moment, her vision blurred. She saw flashes of fire and ice, of a massive rift splitting the sky, and of a figure cloaked in shadows, its eyes burning with an intensity that made her blood run cold.
When the vision faded, she found herself on her knees, gasping for air.
Kael was beside her in an instant. "Eira! Are you—"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, though her trembling hands betrayed her. She clutched the relic, its glow now faintly red, and forced herself to stand. "Let's go."
Kael nodded, his expression unreadable, and together they left the shrine.
---
The journey down the Hollow Ridge was treacherous. The icy winds bit at Eira's face, and the jagged rocks threatened to twist her ankles with every step. But the real danger was the Inferna.
They moved like shadows in the distance, their fiery forms flickering against the twilight. Eira and Kael kept to the cliffs, using the terrain to stay out of sight.
"Where are we headed?" Eira whispered, her breath visible in the frigid air.
"To the Silver Basin," Kael replied. "It's a hidden valley surrounded by wards. The Inferna can't enter it."
Eira raised an eyebrow. "How do you know about this place?"
Kael hesitated. "Let's just say I've been there before."
Eira wanted to press him further, but the distant sound of Inferna screeches cut her off. She tightened her grip on her dagger, her pulse quickening.
"They're getting closer," she said.
Kael scanned the cliffs, his eyes narrowing. "We need to move faster. Stay close."
He led her along a narrow path that hugged the edge of the ridge. The ground beneath them was slick with ice, and Eira's heart jumped every time her foot slipped. But Kael moved with practiced ease, his steps sure and steady.
As they rounded a bend, they came face-to-face with a group of Inferna sentinels.
Eira froze, her breath catching in her throat. The sentinels snarled, their molten eyes locking onto her.
Kael stepped in front of her, his frosted blade at the ready. "Run," he said without looking back.
Eira hesitated. "I'm not leaving you."
"You don't have a choice!" he snapped, his voice colder than the air around them. "If they get the relic, it's over. Go!"
Before she could argue, Kael charged at the sentinels, his blade carving through the first one in a burst of ice and flame.
Eira clenched her teeth, her instincts screaming at her to stay and fight. But Kael was right. The relic was more important than either of them.
She turned and ran, the relic clutched tightly to her chest.
The path twisted and turned, the cliffs rising like jagged teeth on either side. The sound of battle faded behind her, replaced by the pounding of her own heartbeat. She didn't stop until she reached a narrow cave hidden behind a curtain of frost.
Slipping inside, she pressed her back against the cold stone and tried to catch her breath.
Minutes passed, though it felt like hours, before she heard footsteps approaching the cave.
She gripped her dagger, her muscles coiled like a spring.
The figure that appeared in the entrance wasn't an Inferna. It was Kael.
He staggered inside, blood dripping from a fresh wound on his arm. His frosted blade was gone, and his armor was scorched and battered.
"They're regrouping," he said, his voice hoarse. "We don't have much time."
Eira frowned. "What happened to your sword?"
Kael sank to the ground, leaning heavily against the wall. "Lost it in the fight. It doesn't matter. We're close to the Silver Basin. I just need a moment."
Eira knelt beside him, her anger bubbling to the surface. "You could've gotten yourself killed! What were you thinking?"
Kael opened one eye and smirked faintly. "I was thinking that if I didn't fight them, you'd be dead too."
She glared at him, but the heat in her chest softened. Kael was frustrating, reckless, and entirely too smug for his own good, but he had saved her more times than she could count.
"Thank you," she said grudgingly.
He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For saving me. Again."
Kael's smirk widened, but there was no arrogance in it this time. "You're welcome."
Eira sat back, her gaze drifting to the relic in her lap. Its glow was dim, but its power still pulsed faintly beneath her fingertips.
"What if this doesn't work?" she asked quietly.
Kael's expression grew serious. "It has to. There's no other way."
The determination in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. For all her doubts and fears, she realized that she trusted him.
"We'll make it," she said, more to herself than to him.
Kael's gaze softened, and for a moment, the storm within him seemed to quiet.
"Together," he said.