But it wasn't just the fire, the air itself seemed to hum and thicken. A wave of pure, primal fear washed over the group, deeper than the fear of soldiers or bandits.
The younger man cried out, dropping his spear and stumbled back, then falling onto the muddy ground in a heap. Meanwhile the others, gasped and looked at Aerion in terror.
The fire settled back to its normal size. The wave of overwhelming fear lessened, but it didn't vanish completely.
Aerion stood perfectly still, only his chest moved slightly with each shallow breath.
He hadn't fully meant to do it. The power had slipped, a momentary loss of his strained control.
But the effect... it was certainly useful. He looked at the terrified older man, then at the girl, her expression fully filled with horror.
"Do you understand now?" His voice was sharp now. "I offer survival. Through my strength. Unless..."
He didn't finish the sentence, as it didn't need to. The unnatural fire and the suffocating fear he performed unconsciously, spoke louder than any words he could utter.
Silence settled over the gully, broken only by the crackle of fire and the ragged breathing of the survivors. The child sniffled, still hidden in his mother's embrace.
The older man looked at his group, then shifted his gaze at the wounded figure standing before them, radiating cold authority.
He looked towards the dark woods beyond. Then his shoulders slumped in defeat.
He slowly lowered himself slightly to the muddy ground in submission. "We... we understand," he rasped, unable to meet Aerion's burning gaze
Aerion ignored the man's surrendering gesture, his eyes scanned the gully, assessing its layout.
"This place is safe, for now. But the fire is too visible from the eastern ridge. Put it out." He said with an absolute and commanding voice, leaving no room for argument.
"You." He pointed a blood-stained finger at the younger man, who was still cowering on the ground. "Stand watch there." He pointed to a spot higher up the gully. "The rest, be silent and go rest. We move to a better shelter at first light."
He didn't ask, instead he commanded them straightly. After nothing more to say, he stepped further into the gully, finding a relatively dry spot under an overhang, away from the others.
He lowered himself stiffly, a flicker of pain crossing his for an instant before the cold mask returned. He closed his eyes, but the survivors knew he wasn't sleeping.
They moved silently, kicked dirt onto the fire until it was extinguished. The younger man scrambled to the designated point, still trembling, his crude spear held loosely.
The women huddled together, the child clutched tightly between them. They were all shaking.
***
The night passed in an uneasy silence. It was cold and wet, offering no comfort.
Aerion did not sleep. His body burned with a dull, constant pain—the wound in his stomach, the strange feeling of being human, and something deeper. A restless heat pulsed under his skin, an ache in his bones. The dragon's power was tightly coiled inside him, waited.
He kept his eyes closed but listened to every sound—the soft rustle of leaves in the wind, the shallow breathing of the other survivors, and the far-off howl of a wolf. He heard everything, taking it all in.
When the first light of dawn appeared, he stood up. His movements were stiff, and pain shot through him, but he ignored it. Weakness was not allowed.
The others were already awake. They hadn't slept much either. Their faces looked tired and their eyes wide with fear.
Garren, the older man, sat stiffly, rubbing his bad leg and wincing. Ryn, the younger man, held his crude spear tightly, his eyes nervously flicking towards Aerion few seconds.
The women—Mira and her daughter, Eana—were huddled close, the child still curled against Mira's side, seeking comfort. Their shared fear felt strong and thick in the cold morning air.
'Good.'
Fear, Aerion knew, was a useful tool. It made them obey.
Aerion stepped forward. His movements were slow and careful, each one a fight against the pain that pulled at his wound with every breath. He ignored it. Weakness was simply not an option.
"We move," he said. His voice was flat. He offered no greeting, no friendly words, and left no room for talk.
Garren started to speak, then stopped. His throat moved as he swallowed hard. He finally spoke, his voice shaky. "Where, if you please?"
Aerion's blue eyes fixed on him. That question, it was an easy question, but it was an act of defiance.
Garren flinched under his stare, clearly recoiling. Aerion let the silence stretch, letting them feel the heavy weight of his unspoken power.
Then, he said coldly. "North. Toward the Black Hollow."
Mira sharply gasped. Even the still shaking Ryn, looked up at him in alarm.
"The Hollow?" Eana whispered. Her voice was barely audible, filled with disbelief and a hint of fear. "But... that's damn close to the Vaelgard patrol routes, isn't it?"
Aerion didn't answer. He didn't need to. His silence was a harsh reply on its own.
Garren's voice was rough with hidden panic. "They'll see us there. If we get too close, their patrols will find us..."
"Then don't be seen."
His words cut like a sharp blade. They were final.
Without another word, Aerion turned away, already walking steadily toward the north. He didn't look back to see if they followed. He knew they would.
And they did.
***
The Black Hollow was a stark mark on the land—a deep, rocky gully hidden skillfully between two sharp ridges, hard to see from a distance.
It had once been a busy mining outpost. Now, it was a silent graveyard of broken carts and old tools, picked clean by scavengers and left to fall apart.
And, as Eana had rightly said, it was dangerously close to Vaelgard lands, a constant threat.
Aerion crouched at the edge of the ridge, not moving like a stone. His gaze swept over the land below.
A narrow dirt road twisted through the Hollow, cutting through the mud. Fresh wagon tracks clearly marked the ground, showing recent activity.
He turned his head slightly. The others crouched behind him, pressed low against the rocks and their bodies tense.
Garren's face was pale, lined with worry. Ryn gripped his crude spear too tightly until his knuckles white.
Only Eana didn't look openly terrified. She was tense, yes, but her dark eyes were fixed intently on the road below, studying it with sharp focus.
Aerion watched her for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable in his golden eyes. Then he said with a low voice, "You."
Eana's body stiffened.
"Go down. See what's there."
A moment of complete silence passed between them.