The darkness descended, shrouding the camp in stillness. There was little but an occasional crackle of expiring fire or the gentle hiss of wind to shatter the silence. Aelric sat alone beside a smoldering ember, sharpening his blade in precise, measured strokes. Sparks danced off the edge like summer fireflies. His own eyes, though weary, burned with something far more tenacious than wakefulness—determination.
He sat alone for no more than moments.
Seris arrived, shrouded in a cloak that was much too thin to be of much use against the chill. She knelt across from him, her gaze on the fire.
"You didn't sleep," she breathed.
"Didn't exactly," Aelric replied, laying down the whetstone. "You neither?"
She shook her head. "Dreamed of flame. Screams. My father. my mother. How they died."
Aelric let the silence hang. The survivors dreamed a lot, especially those with the acrid smell of smoke still on their bodies.
"Was it the Crimson Pyre again?" he asked.
"Yes," she gasped. "But this time… I wasn't powerless. I was standing amidst the fire. And I wasn't on fire."
Aelric raised an eyebrow. "That's not a dream. That's a vision."
Seris looked up at you, lip pale against the light. "Do you think… the Flamebound line really existed in me?"
"I don't think," you said, sheathing your blade. "I know."
Seris pressed her lip into her teeth. "Then I have to learn how to use it. Master it. Or it'll kill me."
Aelric nodded. "You will. I'll make sure it happens."
She looked at him, like she was looking at him for the very first time. "Why are you helping me, really? It's not just the reward. I can see."
He exhaled a heavy breath. "Because you remind me of someone. Someone that never had a chance to fight back. I promised if I were ever to find someone similar to her, I wouldn't let them die helpless."
Seris's eyes relaxed. "Then… I swear I won't make your oath go for naught."
They sat silently once more, but now the silence was mutual. The kind of silence that implied something was coming together—something more substantial than coincidence.
And then, without warning, a voice broke the moment.
"You two always so serious?"
A lanky, tall figure stepped out of the shadows. He was dressed in a half-mask of leather and bronze and had eyes that sparkled with mischief. A sword was strapped to his back, and three tiny knives danced between his fingers.
"Who the devil—" Aelric stood up, sword halfway drawn.
"Easy," said the man, grinning. "Name's Kael. Heard you stirred up some trouble in Duskmire. Thought I'd come by and see if there was any truth to the rumors."
"What rumors?" Seris demanded.
"That the Iron Vow has returned. And he's got a girl with flames in her veins."
Aelric's hand on the hilt tightened. "You're not with the Wardens."
"Please. If I were working for them, I would have already tried to kill you. I'm… a freelance professional. I pick sides based on odds. And yours are rising right now."
Seris frowned. "So you want what? To join us?"
Kael smiled even wider. "I want to see you reach your destination. Alive. In return, you let me go with a story to tell."
Aelric sized him up. The man was a rogue, but there was something else—a cutting edge that softened not even in jest.
"Tell me, Kael. What do you know about Emberdeep?"
The rogue's smile faltered, once.
"I know it's buried under ash, cursed by the High Circle, and crawls with shadows. And I know you're fools if you're going there."
"We are," Aelric confirmed.
Kael glared for a very long time. Then he burst out laughing.
"Well, damn. I was hoping you'd say that. I've still got business to take care of in Emberdeep."
Seris looked back and forth between them. "Is it safe to trust him?"
"No," said Aelric. "But sometimes the best friends are the ones you hug close because they're bad news."
Kael did a pretend bow. "I'll take that as a compliment."
A cold gale blew through the trees, and Seris trembled. The flames flickered low.
Kael gazed up at the sky. "Storm's coming. We have to move."
Aelric nodded, then to Seris. "Rest now. We ride to the Ember Vale at dawn."
She gazed uncertainly, then started to rise. "I'll try it."
As she disappeared into the tent, Kael sat at the fire.
"So," he said, tossing a twig into the embers. "This girl. She really the Flamebound Heir?"
"She might be something greater," Aelric answered. "But even if she isn't… we'll make the world believe she is."
Kael smirked. "Now that's a story."
Aelric didn't smile. He stared into the flames, watching them dance.
Beneath his breath, barely audible, the system chimed:
System Update: Companion Bond formed – "Seris Valen" (Rank: Trusting)
New Ability Unlocked: Flameward – Protects a single companion from fire damage a single time during combat.
Party Development: New Member Joined – "Kael of the Masked Path"
Ability Learned: "Web of Oaths" – Sworn vows build upon each other, granting stacking resistance to mind-affecting effects.
Objectives Altered:
— Escort Seris to Emberdeep safely
— Discover origin of her Flamebound lineage
— Survive the Ember Vale
The fire flickered and then died down once more.
And out there in the dark beyond the trees… something waited.