2025-09-24 15:15:50
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Chapter 37 – The Falcon’s Net
The Dominion camp sprawled like a wound across the forest clearing. Rows of black tents stretched in neat lines, each marked with the hawk emblem that gleamed silver beneath torchlight. Smoke curled from iron braziers, the acrid scent of burning herbs carried on the night breeze.At the camp’s center rose the command pavilion, taller than the rest, its canvas stitched with golden thread. Soldiers in dark mail moved constantly at its edges, their boots stamping a rhythm of order and fear.Inside, the air was thick with incense and steel. Maps were spread across a massive oak table, pins marking trails through the Vale. A lantern swung gently from the central pole, throwing long shadows over the men and women gathered within.Commander Icarus leaned over the map, his gauntleted hand pressing hard against the parchment. His hawk mask, wrought from iron and etched with crimson runes, lay on the table beside him. His face was bare tonight, sharp and severe, eye
Chapter 36 – Whispers Beneath the Trees
The forest held its breath after the battle. The ground was scarred where lightning had struck, blackened earth steaming faintly in the damp. The air still smelled of smoke and ozone, sharp in the lungs. Ryan could barely feel his legs as they pressed onward, each step dragging like iron weights. Olivia stayed close, guiding his arm over her shoulders. Though her face was pale from blood loss, her eyes shone with steady resolve. Through the bond, Ryan felt her spark flicker, lending him strength drop by drop, just enough to keep him moving. Maya kept them to narrow deer trails, doubling back twice to throw off pursuit. She moved with restless energy, muttering about hawks, priests, and fools who dared chase them. Kael walked behind, silent as stone, but every so often he glanced over his shoulder, his grip tightening on his spear. The storm inside Ryan whispered hungrily, begging to be released again, but he igno
Chapter 35 – The Hawk’s Net
The forest was not quiet for long.Even as the last of the Shadow Priests crumbled into ash, the woods whispered with fresh movement. Ryan’s storm tingled against his skin, warning him before sound or sight revealed anything. The Dominion wasn’t finished.Kael was already scanning the treetops, his voice clipped. “Scouts. Archers. They’ll tighten the noose.”Maya pulled a knife from her belt, spinning it between her fingers as if to steady her nerves. “We can’t linger. They’ll herd us if we move too slow.”Ryan glanced at Olivia. She was pale, but her jaw was set, her wounded arm held close. Her spark still hummed through the bond, faint but steady, feeding his strength. He felt her faith in him — a fragile light, but powerful.“We move,” he said firmly. “Now.”They pressed deeper into the forest, branches snapping beneath their boots, wet leaves slapping against their cloaks. The rain had stopped, leaving the air heavy, thick with damp earth and the lingering tang of lightning.Maya
Chapter 34 – Shadows on the Hunt
The rain had not stopped by dawn.The river village woke under a curtain of gray, fishermen trudging out with nets heavy on their shoulders, women tending fires to boil water and smoke fish. Ryan and the others prepared quietly, wrapping cloaks against the damp, the storm humming low and restless within him.The elder watched from the hall’s doorway as they readied to depart. His eyes were grave, his voice steady. “You should leave swiftly. The river whispers of hawks flying north.”Kael inclined his head, not surprised. “Your warning is noted.”Ryan bowed in thanks. “You’ve given us shelter. We won’t forget it.”The elder’s gaze lingered on him a heartbeat longer, as though searching his face for something unspoken, then he turned away.They set out north, following the river’s bend, boots sinking into wet soil. The rain masked their passage, washing away tracks, but Ryan couldn’t shake the prickling sense of eyes at their backs.Olivia walked close beside him, her hood drawn low, he
Chapter 33 – The Lowlands
The mist clung to them as they passed through the narrow gorge at the Vale’s edge. The path was slick with moss, and water trickled down the cliffs in silver threads. Ryan led with careful steps, his hand steady around Olivia’s. Behind them, Kael moved in silence, spear angled to guard their backs, while Maya picked her way with restless vigilance.When the gorge finally widened, the land changed. The air grew warmer, thick with the scent of pine and wildflowers. Grasslands rolled outward in soft waves, dotted with clusters of dark trees. Beyond them, the world stretched vast and open beneath a pale blue sky.Ryan stopped, breathing deeply. After days of jagged peaks and haunted ruins, the lowlands seemed impossibly alive. Birds wheeled overhead, their cries sharp and free. A breeze tugged at his cloak, stirring sparks along his skin.Olivia exhaled a small laugh of wonder. “It feels… lighter here.”Kael was less impressed. His gaze swept the horizon, sharp and assessing. “And exposed
Chapter 32 – Echoes in the Mist
Dawn spilled across the Vale like liquid gold, cutting through the pale fog and igniting the dew on the grass. Ryan woke to the scent of damp earth and birdsong he couldn’t name. For a moment he lay still, letting the quiet wash through him. The storm inside was subdued, its rhythm calm, like waves against a shore.Olivia stirred beside him, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. Her hair was tangled from sleep, but her spark flickered faintly, a soft glow just under her skin. She smiled when she saw him watching. “You look different.”“Different how?”“Calmer,” she said. “Like the storm finally believes you can handle it.”Ryan chuckled softly. “Maybe it does.”Kael was already awake, crouched near the remnants of the fire with his spear across his knees. His gaze swept the valley, measuring every shift in the mist. Maya was perched on a fallen column, sharpening her blade with slow, deliberate strokes.“We move soon,” Kael said without turning. “The Vale has given you what it w
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