Chapter 2: Lost in the Wilderness
The dense forest loomed over the tiny cave, its ancient trees whispering with the wind. The infant Kael lay bundled in cloth, unaware of the peril that surrounded him. The morning sun filtered through the foliage, casting golden rays over the hidden refuge where fate had left him. But fate was cruel, and survival in the wild was unforgiving.
For days, the child remained there, his cries unheard by any who could help. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of beasts lurking in the darkness. Birds circled above, curious about the small, helpless being left in the mountain's grasp.
But destiny had not abandoned him. A wandering hermit, an old man with a staff of gnarled oak, stumbled upon the cave while gathering herbs. His sharp eyes caught the small bundle, his heart tightening at the sight of the helpless child.
"A child, alone?" the old man murmured, stepping closer. His hands, weathered by time, carefully lifted the infant, noticing the pendant clutched tightly in Kael's tiny fingers. The symbol of Eldoria.
Recognition dawned on him. "The lost prince…"
Knowing the dangers that lurked, the hermit—known as Master Eamon—decided to take the boy in, raising him away from the eyes of Malagar's spies. The journey back to his secluded hut was treacherous, the child fragile and weak. But Eamon had seen many things in his long years and understood that this boy carried the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders.
As the years passed, Kael grew under Eamon's guidance. The hermit was no ordinary man; he was once a renowned warrior-scholar, a master of survival and combat. Under his care, Kael learned the ways of the forest—how to hunt, how to fight, and how to read the stars for guidance.
Though he did not know his true identity, Kael felt something stirring inside him, a longing for something beyond the mountains. And as he neared his fifteenth year, destiny began to call him once more.
The time for hiding was coming to an end.