1. The Forest Narrows
The path narrowed as they moved, the trees pressing closer, their branches bare and twisted, reaching like blackened fingers across the thin strip of sky above. The light faded quickly under the thick canopy, the dawn swallowed by the forest's heavy breath.
Frost clung to the roots that curled across the path, each step crunching softly beneath their boots. Mist still hugged the ground, drifting in slow tendrils that coiled around Aeris's ankles as he walked, the ember within him a quiet pulse of warmth against the creeping cold.
Liora held his hand tightly, her bell chiming softly with each step. She was quiet, storm-grey eyes flicking toward every shadow, her small fingers trembling against his.
Mira walked ahead of them, her shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders, herbs bound across her chest in neat leather pouches. She hummed softly under her breath, a prayer to the old gods, weaving protective wards in every breath.
Evin brought up the rear, his sword across his back, every step deliberate, every shadow watched, his green eyes sharp beneath the hood of his cloak. His presence was a quiet promise in the oppressive silence.
They moved like ghosts through the forest, the only sounds the soft crunch of frost and the faint chime of Liora's bell.
The forest watched them, silent and waiting.
2. The First Whisper
It began with a whisper.
Aeris paused, his breath misting in the cold, turning his head toward the dark trunks pressing in around them. The ember within him flared softly, responding to something in the air—a pull, faint and sharp, like the pricking of a needle.
Liora's fingers tightened around his.
"Do you hear it?" she whispered.
He nodded slowly. "Yes."
Mira turned, her dark eyes narrowing. "What is it?"
Evin's hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, his gaze sweeping the trees. "Trouble."
The whisper grew louder, a soft chorus threading through the air, weaving between the branches and through the mist.
Help us.
Free us.
Burn us.
The voices were layered, broken, carrying pain like a sour note in the cold.
Aeris closed his eyes, feeling the ember pulse in answer, a soft heat threading through his veins. "They're close."
The mist thickened, the frost beneath their feet cracking as something moved beneath it, shifting like breath under skin.
Liora whimpered, clutching her bell. "They're so sad," she whispered. "They're hurting."
Aeris opened his eyes, the ember's glow reflected in their pale blue depths. "We'll help them."
Evin drew his sword, the steel whispering as it left the sheath, catching what little light there was, reflecting it in a cold gleam.
Mira stepped closer to Liora, her hand lifting, crystal beads around her wrist catching the faint glow of the ember as she began to chant softly.
The forest fell silent, the mist holding its breath.
Then they came.
3. Blight Guardians
They stepped from the mist like shadows made flesh, their bodies twisted, bark fused with flesh, eyes burning with sickly green light.
The first was shaped like a stag, its antlers blackened and cracked, moss hanging from them like torn flesh. Its eyes were pits of green flame, and its hooves left black marks on the frost as it stepped forward.
Behind it came wolves, their bodies half-wood, half-rotten flesh, jaws lined with splinters and thorns, eyes burning.
Last came the guardian, its body towering, formed of blackened wood and stone, moss and rot clinging to its limbs. Its head was a hollow stump, green fire burning within, illuminating the inside of its skull with every breath.
They moved in silence, the only sound the soft crackle of the green fire that dripped from their eyes like tears.
Liora's bell rang softly as she trembled, stepping back against Aeris's leg.
"They're the forest," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "The forest is hurting."
Aeris stepped forward, the ember in his chest burning bright, the warmth spreading into his limbs, steadying the cold shaking in his fingers.
"We will free them," he whispered.
The guardian lifted its head, the green flame within it flaring.
BURN US.
4. The Battle at the Gate
The stag charged first, hooves tearing through frost and earth, antlers lowered, the green fire within its skull burning brighter as it came.
Evin met it head-on, his blade flashing as it struck, slicing through one of the twisted antlers, ichor and sap spraying across the frost, hissing where it landed.
The stag staggered but did not fall, swinging its head and striking Evin across the chest, sending him crashing into the frost with a grunt.
The wolves circled, jaws snapping, thorns dripping with dark ichor. Mira raised her hands, a shield of golden light bursting outward, pushing the wolves back, the light burning through the Blight clinging to their bodies.
Liora clutched her bell, whispering prayers as tears streamed down her face. "Please… please be free…"
Aeris stepped forward, raising his hand, the ember bursting into flame, a soft, controlled fire that danced across his palm.
The guardian moved, lifting a massive arm formed of twisted roots and broken stone, slamming it down toward them.
Aeris thrust his hand forward, the flame in his palm bursting outward, catching the guardian's arm, the fire burning bright as it wrapped around the Blight, burning it away without touching the wood beneath.
The guardian screamed, the sound like wind through dead branches.
Evin was back on his feet, his blade cutting through a wolf as it lunged for Mira, ichor spraying as the creature fell, twitching, the Blight burning away in black smoke.
Mira's hands moved, light weaving between her fingers as she pressed it against the wounds in the earth, purifying the Blight with each touch, the green fire hissing and screaming as it died.
Liora fell to her knees, the bell ringing as she pressed her hands against the frost.
"Please… let go…"
The guardian turned toward her, the green fire within its head flaring, the Blight screaming.
Aeris stepped in front of her, raising his hands as the ember within him flared, burning bright, the flames bursting from his palms in a wave of soft fire.
The fire met the guardian, wrapping around it, burning the Blight from its body.
The guardian screamed, falling to its knees, the green fire pouring from its skull like a river of light, dissolving into smoke that rose into the dawn.
When the smoke cleared, the guardian was still, its body of wood and stone blackened but free of the green glow, moss fluttering softly in the cold breeze.
The wolves lay still, the Blight burned from their bodies, leaving behind husks of wood and ash.
The stag staggered, its remaining antler cracking and falling to the ground, its eyes closing as it let out a final, shuddering breath.
The forest fell silent once more, the mist parting to reveal the ancient gate ahead.
5. The Ashen Gate
The gate rose from the earth like the ribs of a great beast, massive stone arches blackened by old fire, vines hanging like tattered banners from the cracked stones.
At its center, a circle of ancient runes glowed faintly, shifting with soft, silver light.
Aeris stepped forward, the ember within him pulsing in quiet resonance with the gate. He could feel the echo of the forest's memory in the stone, the pain, the sorrow, and the hope.
Liora approached beside him, her small hand reaching out to touch the cold stone.
"It's sad," she whispered. "It's been waiting."
"For what?" Mira asked softly, kneeling to brush her fingers over the runes.
"For someone to remember," Aeris whispered.
Evin stood back, cleaning the blood and ichor from his blade, his green eyes watching Aeris with quiet understanding.
The ember within Aeris glowed softly, warmth spreading into the cold morning air.
He reached into his satchel, pulling out a small glowing stone, pressing it into the center of the rune circle.
The runes flared, the silver light brightening, shifting into a warm, soft gold that spread across the gate like dawn breaking across the horizon.
The air shimmered, the cold lifting, the frost melting from the stones, steam rising as warmth returned to the ancient bones of the gate.
The archway opened with a soft sound, like breath, revealing a path beyond, lined with pale trees whose branches glowed softly in the light of the ember.
6. A Moment of Rest
They stepped through the gate together, the forest on the other side quiet, the air warmer, filled with the scent of moss and pine.
They found a small clearing, the ground soft with moss, a stream trickling quietly nearby, reflecting the light of the ember that floated above Aeris's palm.
Evin set his sword aside, leaning against a tree, his eyes closing briefly, exhaustion settling into his shoulders.
Mira knelt by the stream, cleaning her hands, the water carrying away the dark ichor, leaving her fingers pale and clean.
Liora sat beside Aeris, resting her head against his arm, the bell at her waist chiming softly with each breath.
"Are we closer now?" she asked softly.
Aeris nodded, letting the ember's light warm them both. "Yes. We're close."
She closed her eyes, letting the warmth seep into her, a small smile on her lips.
"Good."
7. The Promise
That night, they camped in the clearing, the ember's light keeping the cold at bay, the flames casting soft shadows against the pale trees.
Mira hummed softly as she prepared poultices, her voice weaving warmth into the air, her fingers steady despite the exhaustion in her eyes.
Evin sat near the fire, his sword across his knees, sharpening it slowly, the scrape of the whetstone a steady sound in the quiet.
Liora curled in her cloak beside Aeris, the bell at her waist resting against her chest, her small hand clutching his.
Aeris opened his journal, the leather worn and soft beneath his fingers, and began to write:
"We passed the Ashen Gate today. The forest is hurting, but it remembers us. We will keep going. We will bring back the light. If I am to fade, let this record remain, a reminder that we fought, that we were here, that the ember was not lost."
He closed the journal, pressing it to his chest, letting the ember's warmth soak into it, a promise left behind in the dark.
Above them, the stars slowly returned, bright in the clear night sky, the moon rising, pale and soft, casting silver light across the moss.
Liora shifted in her sleep, her small voice whispering softly:
"We are still here…"
Aeris closed his eyes, letting the ember pulse in time with her breathing.
"Yes," he whispered into the night, "we are."
And for now, that was enough.