Kael's breathing was in hoarse gasps as he sprinted through the dense forest, his mind racing ahead of his legs. Behind him, Eldermere village was burning, the orange glow of the fire illuminating macabre shadows in the forest.
The woman who had pulled him behind her strode rapidly, her black cloak flying behind her like a pool of dark liquid. "Keep going!" she bellowed over her shoulder, not even looking back.
"Who are you?" Kael struggled to keep up. "Why did you say I'm the heir?"
She halted at the moonlit clearing, her silvery eyes regard him. "I am Liora. I am an agent of the Order of the Phoenix—a covenant dedicated to preserving the Solarian bloodline." She paused and took a deep breath before resuming. "You are Kael Solarian, King Aldric's final son. Malagar massacred your family, but as an infant you were concealed in order to preserve the royal lineage."
Kael refused to believe. "No. That cannot be. I am merely a blacksmith."
Liora stepped in, her voice firm. "Look at yourself, Kael. Have you never wondered why you are stronger, faster than the other villagers? Why do you have dreams of battles you have never experienced?"
Kael hesitated. There was never a time he was like other men—a strange, inexplicable flame in his veins, a hunger for war though never taught a warrior. But to think he was a king? Madness.
There was a noise among the trees that sent them scattering. Liora stood rigid. "They've found us."
From the shadows, helmeted figures emerged, their black helmets glinting in the moonlight. Their commander stepped forward, showing his teeth. "Here you are, boy. The usurper will reward us well for your head."
Liora sprang forward with superhuman quickness, twin daggers flashing, and cut at the first soldier. Kael had just time to step aside before a man charged at him with a sword.
His body responded automatically. He dodged, grabbed a loose limb, and redirected the soldier's attack. Energy surged through him—unusual, runaway. Without conscious thought, he used the limb as a warhammer and struck the soldier to the ground.
Liora dispatched the remainder of the foe, her daggers covered in blood. She addressed Kael. "You have the warrior's heart, though you are not a warrior." She cleaned her blades and took his arm. "We should leave. We need to be at Valdris ruins before dawn. Something there will confirm what you are."
Kael looked down at his shaking hands. He had just fought a soldier—defeated him. And deep within the center of his chest, something awakened.
Was it fear? Or destiny unfolding?
He clenched his fists and followed Liora into the darkness.
The path to his throne began.