The night dragged on, fire embers flickering while Borin sat restless, half lost in thought. He gripped the white Lumen Crystal, its cold biting into his hand, sending a little jolt up his arm. Nothing big, just a flicker of something, a hint of power that perked him up. Kept him messing with it. After a bit, he tossed it aside, eyeing the black crystal Kael had handed him instead. Its surface felt colder still, biting like frost against his skin, yet as he held it, he noticed something stark: unlike the white crystal, which had granted him a subtle boost in strength, this one felt lifeless, ordinary, offering nothing at all.
Determined to unlock its secrets, Borin experimented with it further. He placed it on the ground as Kael had done, watching the firelight dance across its dark surface, then pressed it to his chest, hoping for some hidden reaction. He even dared to rest it against his lips, careful not to swallow, but no surge came, no shift of power, only a stubborn silence. The black crystal just sat there, dead, like it was laughing at him for even trying. Borin frowned, confused, sneaking a look at Kael. The guy was still sitting there, calm as ever, soaking up his own black crystal like it was nothing, something Borin couldn't wrap his head around.
His chest got tight with annoyance. Borin grunted and chucked the black crystal at Kael. It hit the ground with a thud near his legs. He grabbed the white one again, its faint buzz feeling better than the letdown of the other. The fire was dying down, throwing long shadows around the camp. Night kept dragging, but that white crystal's hum settled him some, even with all the questions piling up.
Morning came, the sun lighting up the plains and the forest in a soft gold. The group stirred, stretching out the stiffness, huddling by the campfire's last embers. Borin, still stuck on those crystals from last night, got them talking about it for a bit. They sifted through the evidence: his lack of response to the black crystal, the subtle energy from the white, and Kael's unique reaction to the dark shards, and reached a simple conclusion: the black crystals worked only for Kael.
Once again, they began their journey anew. After two hours into their trek, a worn walking path emerged from the wild, its packed dirt winding toward the horizon. They followed it, hope flickering like a candle in the wind, until a city loomed into view, its towering castle walls rising starkly, with faint sounds of life drifting from within.
Borin grinned big, no holding back. "Finally," he said, voice scratchy from relief, "real rest, good food, meat that ain't dirt flavored, and we got a gold coin to spend." He rubbed his hands, claws clicking a little, pumped up. "Gonna be fun"
Elara nodded fast, practically bouncing. "I'd give anything for a warm bed," she said, a huge smile lighting up her face, like she could already feel the comfort after ages in the wild.
Anya, ever the pragmatist, held up a hand, her sharp blue gaze cutting through their excitement. "Not so fast. Borin and Kael, you two stay here. Elara and I will scout ahead."
Borin's grin dropped, his big shoulders sagging. "Why? I wanna go!" he griped, voice whiny and sharp, mad about being stuck behind.Anya glanced at his arm, green scales catching the morning sun like shiny rocks. "Look at yourself.. That arm would get us noticed instantly. And Kael," she turned her gaze to him, noting the leaf, woven garb, a patchwork of forest hues stark against the open plain, and the violet eye that pulsed with a quiet flicker of otherness, setting him apart.
"Those eyes and clothes stick out too much," Anya said. "We gotta get you both something to wear first. Elara and me can sneak by, just barely." She yanked at her stained black Valerius robe, frayed at the edges, and pulled the hood up to hide her face. She nodded at Elara to do the same, tugging her hood down low to cover her up, keeping them out of sight.
Borin let out a sigh, mad at Valerius in his head since blending in wasn't easy for some of them. "Fine," he muttered, not happy about it.
Elara fiddled with her hood, caught Borin's eye, and stuck her tongue out, grinning like a little troublemaker. Her pink eyes twinkled as she hopped a step forward, messing with him.
Borin frowned and swiped at the air, but she laughed and stepped next to Anya on the path.
She turned back, giving Kael a quick warm smile. "Stay here, Kael. Back soon," she said, voice softer. Kael nodded, eyes steady.
As Anya and Elara got closer, the castle walls rose up big, old stone covered in moss and worn out. A soldier in a dull gray tunic up on the wall spotted them first, squinting at two hooded shapes. He shouted a fast warning.
A second later, a guy in knight armor with a silver badge showed up on top, looking like he was in charge. His gear screamed importance.He leaned over the edge, voice loud like a storm. "You two, stop! Who are you, and what do you want?" Soldiers behind him notched their bows, and everything felt tight.
Elara froze, grabbing Anya's arm, fingers pressing into the robe. She shook a bit, breathed short, and whispered, "Anya, maybe we should go."
From the forest edge, hidden by trees and tall grass, Borin peered at the city. "You see anything?" he muttered, voice quiet, edgy.
Kael tilted his head, violet eye flashing quick. "Yeah," he said, voice flat like usual.
"Tell me," Borin urged, shifting his weight anxiously.
"They're pointing bows at Elara and Anya," Kael said, his voice steady, as if noting a passing cloud.
"Why?" Borin asked, worry sharpening his tone. "Can you hear them?"
Kael shook his head, silent.
Borin's claws pointed toward the city. "If you see them shoot arrows at Elara and Anya, go save them, fast," he said, his voice cracking, revealing the worry gnawing at him.
Kael nodded, his gaze fixed on the distant walls.
Anya turned to Elara first, her voice soft. "Don't worry, it'll be fine," she whispered, trying to comfort her. Elara still looked scared. Then, with arrows aimed at them, Anya faced the guards, her tone firm. "We mean no harm. We're lost, looking for a map, rest, and clothes."
The captain's eyes narrowed, his scarred brow creasing. "Lord Darius, Warden of Calathar, forbids strangers here. Remove your hoods. Tell us who you are and why you're here, rebels or witches. Speak, or we shoot."
Elara gripped Anya's arm tighter, her pink eyes flickering with confusion at "witches." Neither knew what it meant. Anya nodded slightly, and they pulled down their hoods. The wind hit their bald heads, showing two young girls, barely more than kids, standing vulnerable. The guards muttered among themselves.
The captain stiffened, his hand jerking up as unease gripped him. Just days ago, he'd heard of a young witch in the rebel army who'd killed King Oberon with some witchcraft. He'd brushed it off as nonsense at first, but now two girls stumbled out of the Dreadfang Wilds, a treacherous stretch crawling with wild beasts no normal human could cross alone. Especially not these frail-looking youths, so young and weak they couldn't possibly be knights, his mind raced, maybe witches instead.
Their bald heads glinted strangely in the light, and their alchemist-like clothes, worn yet oddly precise, sent a shiver through him. His stomach twisted with doubt, they didn't look right, and that sharp certainty ignited his panic. "Fire!" he yelled, slashing his hand down, voice taut with alarm. "Bring the witches down!"
Anya and Elara snapped alert as arrows flew. Trained as squire knights, they split apart fast. Anya dodged with quick steps, pulling Elara with her as arrows whizzed by. But Elara stumbled, her leg weak from an old wound, and tripped on a stone. An arrow slammed into her calf with a sickening thud. She screamed, collapsing as pain burned through her, blood soaking the dirt. Her small body shook, her cry raw and broken.
"Elara!" Anya yelled, her voice cracking with panic.
The captain smirked. "Nice shot! Now the other, aim for the second witch! Lord Darius will pay us well if we catch them alive." The archers reloaded, focusing on Anya.
From a distance, Kael saw it all and ran toward them, his heart pounding. "Elara!" he shouted, reaching her first. He scooped her up gently, her shaky breaths hitting his chest. Tears streaked her dirty face as she clutched her leg, blood oozing. "Thank you, Kael," she whispered, voice weak. "Save Anya too." She pointed, trembling.
Arrows rained toward Anya. Kael, holding Elara close, rushed forward and stepped in front of her. His violet eye glowed, dark energy swirling around him like shadows. With a sharp gesture, he stopped the arrows mid-air, his chest tight with anger and fear. Elara, bleeding in his arms, was the only one who'd ever been kind to him. Her grin, her laugh, calling him "weirdo" then "Kael" with that warmth, it all flashed in his mind. She'd made him feel human.
A tear rolled from his black eye, falling onto Elara's hand. That tear lit a fire in him. With a snarl, he twisted his hand, and the arrows shot back at the guards. Screams cut off as the arrows pierced their skulls, blood splattering the wall. Bodies dropped, lifeless.
"Vanguard rank!" the captain yelled, his voice shaking. He ducked behind the wall, heart racing, peering through a gap. "How's a kid got that power?" he thought, mind reeling.