Morning arrived as it always did in Eldrida, Tashi was the first to wake, as always. It was an unspoken rule, a quiet obligation he had taken upon himself—to be the first to face the village, to greet the morning before anyone else stirred. But as his eyes opened, the familiar sight of the river beside the village was gone.
His breath caught.
The river was not dried up. Not frozen over. Not even diverted. It was as if it had never existed at all. The earth where it had once flowed was bare—too bare, too smooth, as if something had erased it.
Tashi bolted toward the area, his heart pounding in his chest. The ground bore the marks of battle—scorched earth, uprooted trees, deep gashes in the soil. Whatever had happened here had been violent, destructive. His mind raced. Was it bandits? A beast? Some force of nature? Could it be related to..?
A voice broke his thoughts. "Yo."
Tashi spun around. Kai stood behind him, arms crossed, looking at the ruined landscape with mild disinterest.
"You—did you see what happened here??" Tashi demanded.
Kai exhaled. "Happened last night. Someone came out of nowhere and attacked me."
Tashi frowned, considering the words. "I see… Kai, are you some kind of fugitive?"
"Is he planning to blame me for this? After I made sure none of the attacks reached the village?"
Kai studied him for a moment before answering. "You could say that. But listen—if I were the target, I wouldn't still be here. Whoever came last night wasn't after me. They were searching for something in this village."
Tashi's face twisted in disbelief. "In our village? That makes no sense! There's nothing here worth attacking over!"
Kai had hoped this would go more smoothly, but he could already tell—Tashi wasn't going to open up to him that easily. He supposed he couldn't blame him.
"I didn't ask for this either. But I was there. Now I'm involved, whether I like it or not. I could just leave and continue on my way, but tell me—what happens to this village if another attack comes?"
Tashi had no answer. His gaze dropped to the ground. Eldrida was a quiet village, untouched by external conflicts. Its warriors were few, and none were exceptional. One glance at the battlefield told him everything—if an attacker like that returned, Eldrida wouldn't stand a chance.
He looked at Kai. Did he trust him? Not necessarily. He didn't know him. But they had shared a meal. Kai was not a bad person. And right now, he had no other choice.
Tashi clenched his fists, the weight of his village's survival hanging heavy on him. "I'll tell you everything... Just please, help us!"
Kai raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the sudden honesty. "Start by telling me—what exactly were they looking for here?"
Tashi hesitated, then took a deep breath. "The thing is..."
miles away, in a village buried in snow.
Viper trudged through the snow-covered streets of Crimson Peak, a village nestled high in the mountains. The air was thick with the scent of meat and spices, mixing with the crisp bite of pine and frost. Villagers bustled around, wrapped in heavy furs, exchanging greetings and going about their business.
His destination loomed ahead—a towering circular building of dark stone, its walls adorned with carvings of dragons and ancient symbols. He stepped inside, moving through dim corridors until he reached a room where four figures sat around a table.
He nodded as he entered. "Tafari. Kaida. Rey."
Then his gaze landed on the shadowed figure at the far end of the table.
"Blaze."
Tafari, a tall, muscular man with deep brown skin, grinned. "Ha! So you're finally back, Viper. To think you'd fail a mission this simple!"
Kaida, a magician dressed in a sleek black gown, observed with a measured gaze. ''Don't be so hard on him, Tafari. He is the weakest among us, after all.''
Rey, a blonde troublemaker with a perpetual smirk, leaned forward. "Hihi, you really came back after failing? Should I beat you up so you never embarrass us again?"
Viper's jaw tightened, his fists balling at his sides. "Enough. You disappear for years, only to come back and mock me? When I heard you returned, I knew it wouldn't bring anything good."
Rey's grin twisted into a sneer. In a flash, Lightning crackled around Rey's legs as he lunged. Viper shifted, narrowly avoiding the strike, then pivoted. His fist blazed as it connected with Rey's ribs, sending him crashing into the corner.
Blaze finally spoke, his voice deep and commanding. "Enough."
Silence fell instantly. Even Rey, groaning from the floor, didn't dare speak.
Blaze turned his gaze to Viper. "I sent you to Eldrida to retrieve what we need. You failed. Why?"
Viper inhaled sharply. "There was interference. A warrior, skilled with the sword, wielding the power of the wind. He was strong. We shouldn't take him lightly."
Rey scoffed, leaning forward. "Just because you couldn't handle him—"
Viper cut him off. "Rey… he's faster than you."
Silence. Then a scoff.
Rey's smirk faltered for a moment, disbelief flashing in his eyes. "Faster than me?" His voice lowered, edged with both arrogance and the faintest trace of doubt. "I know you're lying."
Kaida tilted her head, intrigued. "Faster than Rey? Quite the feat."
Blaze remained unmoved. "It doesn't matter. Whoever he is, whatever strength he holds—it won't change anything. We will take what we came for. And if needed, we'll burn Eldrida to the ground."
The air in the room shifted. A heavy silence settled over them—then, one word broke it.
"Dismissed."
"Tomorrow, we will head to Eldrida. Be at the village entrance by sunrise. Until then, enjoy your time here. I know you've all missed home."
And with that, Blaze walked out.
Tafari chuckled and followed. Rey shot Viper a glare but, for once, wasn't in the mood for another fight. He went out after Tafari.
Only Viper and Kaida remained in the room. He stood, while she remained seated. They were never exactly friends, but Viper still attempted some conversation.
"You're not leaving?"
"Shut up."
"Yeah, that's about what I expected," Viper muttered under his breath. "Well whatever, see you tomorrow."
As the door shut behind Viper, Kaida leaned back, her eyes glinting in the dim light. She hadn't expected things to unfold so quickly, but now… now, it was time. Time to make her move.