Page 62 of Embers to Flames

I am vaguely aware of their conversation, of their presence just beyond my sphere of agony. The world outside my pain feels distant and detached as if I am viewing it through a veil.

My body continues to tremble under the onslaught of pent-up emotions even as my screams taper off into shaky breaths. A strange sensation begins to ripple through me—a familiar uproar that sends alarm bells ringing in my mind—my arcane detonation power is taking over.

I feel it spread through me like a wildfire, consuming everything in its path—my pain, my grief, and my anger. My fists unclench from the dirt-stained ground as a powerful energy pulses beneath my skin, threatening to burst forth.

Just when I think I am about to lose control entirely, Theo steps in front of me. He doesn’t say anything; he doesn’t have to. His steady gaze cuts through the fury clouding my mind and grounding me, reminding me that I am not alone. My breathing evens out, and slowly, I regain control over the energy coursing through my veins.

“Theo...” My voice a harsh whisper as I look up at him. He offers me a weak smile that does nothing to hide the concern etching lines into his face.

“Save it,” he says gently, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Save it for Ruvyn.” His words resonate with a deep truth. This rage, this pain... it all belongs to Ruvyn. He is the one who has taken so much from me, from us all. And he will pay for it—I vow to make certain of that.

Through the haze of my grief, a burning resolve takes hold. I rise to my feet, wiping away the tears. Ruvyn and his minions have no idea what they’re up against. He may think of us as weak and useless, but we will stand together as one and be a powerful foe he never saw coming. He will rue the day he dared to mess with any of us because we are driven by the memories of those we’ve lost and the desire for justice.

Chapter Thirty-One

The scent of the sea, mixed with the musky odor of Theo’s Dragon scales, stings my nostrils as we fly over the vast expanse of the Sapphire Siren’s Sea. It is both beautiful and terrifying how the dark waters below us shimmer under the silver moon. The scale of the waves crashing below us makes me feel small and insignificant.

I clutch onto Theo’s scales tighter, the warm surface of them a comfort against the constant drafts of wind threatening to carry me away. I turn my head and see Lenna’s eyebrows knitted together in a worried expression whereas Alyndra’s face remains calm and unchanged. The contrast between their reactions is striking.

Lenna’s hand is firm on her quiver, fingers drumming nervously on the arrows, while Alyndra quietly hums an ancient elven tune in an attempt to soothe Lenna’s nerves. It’s a strange sight. The clash of their personalities forming a symphony amidst the chaos that surrounds us.

With a thunderous roar, Theo swoops lower, creating a wave of salty spray as his tail skims across the surface of the sea. The chill from the water seeps through my clothes, causing my body to shudder as the icy cold bites into my skin. I watch the muscles ripple under his scales as he adjusts his wings for another ascent. His strength radiates an air of power and control which feels comforting. However, beneath that, I feel his fear, and his uncertainty matching our own.

Our final destination appears ahead. An island in the midst of Sapphire Siren’s Sea. The majestic silhouette of Mt. Ero appears against the backdrop of the pre-dawn sky. Feeling my anxiety through our bond, Theo turns his big head slightly and looks at me with his fiery gold eyes which are now glowing in anticipation.

“Fear not, my sweet. For I would die a thousand bloody and tragic deaths before I allowed any harm to come to you.”Theo’s voice is soothing in my mind.

“I trust you,” I whisper into the wind, my voice barely audible over the roars of the sea. His response is a surge of warmth through our bond before he returns his focus on navigating through the raging storm brewing ahead.

I turn to Lenna, “It’s time. We must locate the entrance to the fortress,” I command, urgency in my voice. Without hesitation, I gesture towards her bow, “Release your arrow. Let it guide our path.”

Lenna nods in understanding, removing an arrow from her quiver. Her fingers carefully maneuver the fletching, aligning the arrow with the string of her bow. Her eyes flicker to mine for a moment, revealing a depth of fear that is quickly replaced by determination.

“This is for all we’ve lost, and all we stand to gain,” she whispers, lining up her shot with a precision that is mesmerizing. The string of her bow hums as she pulls it back, the arrow gleaming.

For a brief moment, the world stills. The only sound is the gentle lapping of waves against Theo’s scaled body and the distant cry of a creature unknown to me. Lenna takes one last deep breath—inhale, hold, and then...

Release.

The arrow soars through the air, a beacon of light piercing through the chill of the dawn. I lean forward on Theo’s neck, craning to watch its path.

With a soft thud only discernible to Lenna’s trained ears, the arrow embeds itself in a patch of moss-covered rock on Mt. Ero’s lower slope. A small opening behind a thicket of dense bushes flickers into existence—blinking at us like an eye momentarily disturbed from sleep.

“There,” I say, pointing at the flickering entrance that would have otherwise been missed if not for Lenna’s magical arrow.

Theo’s wings stretch wide as we descend, his talons of three feet extending, ready for landing. He carries Eulee securely in his fourth. The wind whistles through his scales, creating an ominous soundtrack to our silent arrival on the bank of the open tide.

Once on the ground, we dismount, and Theo shifts into his elven form. We begin our cautious approach towards the entrance bathed in luminous light, a glaring divergence against the bleak landscape. The adrenaline surges within me. This is it. This is where we confront our destiny. It’s just a few steps away, hidden behind a stone door. Nothing about what lies beyond this door holds any promise of mercy, but every ounce of my being is ready to fight against Ruvyn and reclaim our world.

“Wait,” Alyndra says, her whisper slicing through the swirling winds—and through my resolve. She steps forward, the glow from our destination casting ethereal streaks across her elven features. “There’s something… here…” Her voice trails off, eyes narrowing in concentration.

I watch as she crouches down and extends a delicate hand to the ground, palm hovering over the sand-strewn soil. Dusty grains dance gently in the air, caught in the current from her magic. The song she had been humming earlier slips past herlips again, soft notes playing an ode to the ancient world that once belonged solely to the Elves.

A shiver runs through me, not from the cold, but from adrenaline that pulses through me. I watch as a myriad of multicolored particles begin to materialize around Alyndra’s hand. They hover just above it, dancing gently in the air as if reacting to the invisible rhythm of her song.

Suddenly, Alyndra’s eyes snap open revealing green orbs aglow with pure magic. “An enchantment,” she announces with an exigent tone. She stands up swiftly, dusting off her palms. “Ruvyn has put a spell on the entrance. Anyone not of his blood will die if they pass through it.”

My heart sinks at her words. A sigh escapes my lips as I drag a hand through my hair.

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