Kael and Mareth sat on the edge of a cracked plateau. The fire anchor's glow painted their faces in faint orange.
The ground radiated warmth, but exhaustion weighed heavier than the heat.
Mareth broke the silence. "We survived. Barely. I still smell burnt hair."
Kael gave a weak chuckle. "You're lucky you still have hair. That beast nearly melted us."
Mareth raised his gauntlet. The edges were warped and blackened. "This was new. Now? Scrap metal."
Kael unrolled the glowing map. Its soft light pulsed steadily.
He pointed at a distant mark. "The fire anchor's stable. Tide's Respite is next."
Mareth squinted. "Water monsters, shifting currents, and more fun, right?"
Kael nodded. "Something like that."
Mareth groaned. "Can't we just skip to the end?"
Kael smirked. "If only it were that easy."
Dinner was a sparse affair.
Mareth jabbed his dried meat. "This stuff tastes worse every time."
Kael chewed slowly. "Better than starving."
Mareth gestured at the distant horizon. Heat shimmered faintly.
"Think Tide's Respite will be worse than this place?"
Kael nodded. "Probably. But stabilizing it might cool the Divide. It'll make things easier."
"Cool it, huh? Unless we drown first," Mareth muttered.
Setting up camp was a quiet task.
Kael worked quickly, securing the tent beneath a jagged overhang.
Mareth flopped onto his bedroll. "So... any brilliant ideas for fixing the water anchor?"
"No idea," Kael admitted. "The fire anchor needed a fight. This might be different."
"Different how?" Mareth asked. "Like arm-wrestling a water elemental?"
Kael shrugged. "Could be anything. We'll figure it out when we get there."
Mareth groaned. "I hate surprises."
Inside the tent, the faint hum of the fire anchor lingered in the air.
Mareth stared at the tent's ceiling. "You ever think we're in too deep, Kael?"
"All the time," Kael replied.
"And yet here we are," Mareth said, a tired smile crossing his face.
Kael lay down beside him. "We've come too far to turn back now."
Sleep didn't come easily.
Kael stared at the glowing map. The lines flickered faintly, like a heartbeat.
Tide's Respite loomed in his thoughts. Shifting waters. Treacherous ground.
Unknown trials awaited. But his resolve held firm.
Mareth's snores filled the silence.
Kael smiled faintly. The sound was oddly comforting.
He closed his eyes, letting exhaustion claim him.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges.
For now, they rested.
The next morning, Mareth groaned awake. "I dreamt we were fighting giant fish."
Kael smirked. "That might not be far off."
Mareth sat up, rubbing his neck. "My whole body hurts. How do you keep going?"
"Stubbornness," Kael replied, packing their supplies. "And knowing the next step matters."
"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Mareth asked, stretching.
"To restore balance," Kael said simply.
Mareth grunted. "Balance. Right. Sounds exhausting."
Breakfast was just as meager as dinner had been.
Kael handed Mareth a piece of dried fruit.
"Still better than nothing," Kael said as Mareth grimaced.
"I'd kill for real food," Mareth muttered.
Kael laughed. "Save that energy for Tide's Respite."
Breaking camp was quick.
Kael secured the map to his belt. Mareth adjusted his gear, still complaining about the heat.
As they stepped away from the plateau, the fire anchor's glow faded behind them.
Kael glanced back briefly. One anchor stabilized. Three to go.
"Ready?" Kael asked.
Mareth sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be."
The path ahead was rough.
Ash and debris coated the ground, remnants of the Divide's chaos.
Kael kept the map in hand, watching for landmarks.
"Tide's Respite is about a day's walk," he said.
Mareth groaned. "A day in this heat? Fantastic."
"Better than fighting fire beasts again," Kael replied.
"Barely," Mareth shot back.
As the day wore on, the heat gave way to a faint, salty breeze.
Mareth sniffed the air. "Is that... the sea?"
Kael nodded. "We're close to Tide's Respite. The map says the terrain shifts constantly."
Mareth frowned. "Shifting terrain? That sounds... safe."
"Stay sharp," Kael warned. "We can't afford to get caught off guard."
By late afternoon, the landscape began to change.
The dry, cracked ground gave way to damp, muddy earth. Pools of water shimmered in the distance.
Mareth stepped in a puddle and cursed. "Great. Wet boots. Just what I needed."
Kael scanned the horizon. The tide moved unnaturally, shifting like it had a mind of its own.
"This place is alive," Kael murmured.
"Alive and annoying," Mareth added.
They stopped at the edge of a large tidal pool.
The map glowed faintly, indicating they were nearing the anchor.
Kael crouched, studying the swirling currents. "We'll rest here for a bit. We'll need all our strength for what's next."
Mareth sighed and dropped his pack. "Fine. But if a sea monster shows up, I'm blaming you."
Kael smirked. "Noted."
The air grew cooler as the sun dipped lower.
Kael sharpened his blade, his focus steady.
Mareth stretched out on a rock, watching the strange tides shift back and forth.
"You think this will be worse than the fire anchor?" Mareth asked.
Kael didn't look up. "Probably. But we'll handle it."
"You're awfully confident for someone who almost got fried yesterday," Mareth said.
Kael paused. "We made it through that. We'll make it through this."
Night fell quickly.
The tides glowed faintly under the moonlight, casting eerie reflections.
Mareth shivered. "This place feels... off."
Kael nodded. "The Divide isn't meant to be like this. That's why we're here."
Mareth sighed. "Let's hope this anchor doesn't kill us."
Kael stood, his resolve unshaken. "It won't. Not if we're prepared."
Mareth grinned. "Then I guess we'd better be."
For now, they waited.