Late Afternoon, The Road to Ember Peaks
The sun was low on the horizon, its dying light casting long shadows across the dirt road. A cold wind whispered through the valley, tugging at cloaks and carrying the scent of earth and distant smoke. The journey had been relentless—no time to rest, no time to grieve. Only forward. Always forward.
Delwyn pulled her hood tighter, glancing back at the others. Mira rode beside her, her usual sharp demeanour dulled by exhaustion. Elias followed on foot, rubbing his arms against the cold. Joren and Talia kept to the rear, watchful, silent. Vaelor… he was quieter than usual, and that was saying something.
They had barely spoken since leaving the ruins. Since Tavrin's words had cut deeper than any blade.
Galborn took my brother. And he turned him into a Vehrak Knight.
Delwyn had wanted to press him further. But how could she, when he wouldn't even meet her gaze?
She was about to say something—anything—when Mira stiffened. "There's movement ahead."
Delwyn followed her gaze down the road. A caravan of wagons sat clustered near a bend, half a dozen figures tending to their goods. Merchants. Travelers. No banners of war.
Elias sighed in relief. "Finally. Normal people. No monsters. No Black Hounds. No Vehrak creatures trying to rip out my insides."
Joren grunted. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Talia nodded. "Stay sharp."
They approached slowly. As they neared, a man in a long red cloak stepped forward, his eyes wary beneath a thick brow. A merchant by the look of him, though his stance suggested he'd seen his share of trouble.
He raised a hand. "Travelers?"
Delwyn nodded. "Passing through. Just looking for information."
The merchant hesitated, then gestured toward the wagons. "We've got supplies, if you've got coin. Food, medicine. Though if you're headed north, I'd take what you can now."
Mira narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
The merchant's gaze darkened. He glanced at the others in his caravan before lowering his voice. "Because war's coming. And not just the usual kind."
Vaelor finally looked up. "What do you mean?"
The merchant exhaled, rubbing a hand over his stubbled chin. "Rhyden has declared for Galborn."
Silence. A heavy, suffocating weight settled over them.
Delwyn's fingers tightened around her reins. "How do you know?"
The merchant gestured behind him. "We came through his lands three days ago. His banners are flying under Galborn's sigil now. His armies are marching."
Elias frowned. "Marching where?"
The merchant hesitated. "We don't know for certain, but… the rumours say he's moving toward Ember Peaks."
Mira cursed under her breath. "Of course he is."
Joren crossed his arms. "Rhyden's men were already dangerous. But now? With Galborn's backing—"
"It's not just his men."
They turned back to the merchant. His face was grim, his voice quieter now, like he feared speaking the words aloud. "I saw something. In his camp. Something… wrong."
Vaelor's jaw clenched. "Describe it."
The merchant swallowed. "At first, I thought they were just soldiers. But they didn't move right. They didn't rest, didn't eat. And they weren't treated like men." He hesitated, glancing around as if to make sure no one else could hear. "I saw them. Chained. Like pets."
Talia's expression darkened. "What?"
The merchant nodded grimly. "They kept them in the open, tethered like animals. Then I saw one of the Black Hound soldiers… disciplining one."
Elias exhaled sharply. "What do you mean, disciplining?"
The merchant's mouth twisted in disgust. "He cut it. Sliced it open. Stabbed it. Any normal man would have dropped dead, but this thing? No blood. Just… this thick, black goo seeping from the wounds. It did not stop."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. The merchant's description was disturbingly familiar.
Delwyn looked at Vaelor. "The Rift Gate," she murmured. "The creature that came through… could it be the same?"
Vaelor's expression was hollow, but he nodded. "The way it moved… the way it didn't bleed properly."
Mira's voice was tight. "He's using them."
Joren exhaled slowly. "Galborn's not just summoning monsters. He's keeping them. Training them."
Elias shook his head. "Like hunting dogs."
The merchant swallowed hard. "No. Worse. Like war beasts. I have heard the rumours of strange creatures, villages attacked by unknown creatures. But now I have seen it…"
Silence. It was thick and suffocating.
Vaelor's breathing was shallow. His hands had curled into fists. Delwyn could see the weight pressing down on him. He wasn't just thinking about Rhyden's soldiers.
He was thinking about his brother.
Delwyn exhaled. "We need to reach Ember Peaks. Fast."
Mira nodded. "Agreed."
The merchant hesitated. "If you're headed that way… I hope you're ready. Because whatever's coming? It's worse than any war we've seen before."
Delwyn met his gaze. "We'll be ready."
She wasn't sure if that was a lie. But for a short second, she believed her own words.
As they turned back to the road, the mountains looming ahead, she could feel the weight pressing on all of them. War wasn't just coming to them and Varfaun.
It was already here. Knocking on the door.