Empire Destruction: Rise of the Forgotten Elements

Chapter 2: Flames in the Dark

Eryon pulled Tia behind a tree, his mind racing. They needed supplies, but the bandits were too dangerous to confront head-on. As he debated their next move, Tia tugged at his sleeve.

"Look," she whispered, pointing to the edge of the camp.

A cage sat near the fire, and inside was a young boy, no older than Tia. His face was dirty, his eyes hollow with fear. Eryon's stomach twisted. He couldn't leave the boy behind.

"Tia, stay here," he said firmly.

"No! You can't go alone!" Tia clung to his arm, her small hands trembling. "They'll hurt you."

"I'll be fine." He crouched to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I need you to trust me. If something happens, run. Don't look back."

Reluctantly, Tia nodded, though her eyes glistened with tears.

Eryon took a deep breath and moved closer to the camp. He stayed low, weaving through the underbrush. The bandits were distracted, laughing and arguing as they passed around a bottle of some foul-smelling drink. Their voices were coarse and loud, filled with drunken bravado.

Near the cage, one of the men leaned against a tree, his sword resting beside him. Eryon's heart pounded as he considered his options. He didn't have a weapon, only his wits and whatever strange power had protected him in the village.

As he crept closer, the boy in the cage noticed him. His eyes widened, but he remained silent, as if sensing the danger of alerting his captors. Eryon raised a finger to his lips, signaling for the boy to stay quiet.

The guard by the tree yawned, his head drooping as sleep overtook him. Eryon seized the opportunity, darting forward and grabbing the sword. The weight of the blade was unfamiliar, but he steadied his grip. With a quick motion, he struck the back of the guard's head with the hilt. The man crumpled to the ground without a sound.

Eryon hurried to the cage, fumbling with the lock. "Hang on," he whispered, his fingers trembling. The boy watched him with a mix of hope and fear.

Before he could free the boy, a shout rang out. "Oi! What're you doing?"

Eryon spun around to see two bandits rushing toward him, weapons drawn. His heart raced as he raised the stolen sword. The blade felt awkward in his hands, but he had no choice.

The first bandit lunged, swinging a crude axe. Eryon sidestepped, the blade narrowly missing him. He swung the sword clumsily, the blade grazing the bandit's arm. The man snarled in pain but didn't falter.

The second bandit circled around, forcing Eryon to back away from the cage. His movements were unrefined, driven more by desperation than skill. The bandits laughed mockingly, their confidence growing.

"What's a kid like you playing at with a sword?" one taunted, advancing.

Eryon's grip tightened, sweat dripping down his face. The strange heat from before returned, building in his chest. As the bandits lunged again, a burst of energy erupted from his body. The force sent the men flying, slamming them into nearby trees.

Eryon staggered, his vision swimming. The energy left him drained, his knees threatening to give out. But there was no time to rest. More bandits were approaching, their shouts filling the air.

He turned back to the cage, his determination outweighing his exhaustion. With a final effort, he broke the lock and pulled the boy out.

"Run!" he shouted, grabbing the boy's hand.

Tia emerged from the shadows, her face pale with fear. "This way!" she called, leading them into the forest.

The three of them ran, the bandits' voices growing fainter as they put distance between themselves and the camp. Eryon's lungs burned, and his legs felt like lead, but he didn't stop until the forest swallowed them completely.

They finally collapsed in a hidden grove, the trees forming a protective canopy overhead. Eryon leaned against a trunk, struggling to catch his breath. The boy clung to him, his small frame trembling.

"Are you okay?" Eryon asked, his voice hoarse.

The boy nodded, though tears streamed down his face. "Thank you… thank you…"

Tia knelt beside them, her hands shaking as she offered the boy a piece of bread from her bag. "What's your name?" she asked gently.

"Lorin," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They took me from my village… I don't know where my family is."

Eryon's heart ached for the boy. He understood the pain of losing a home, of feeling helpless. "You're safe now, Lorin," he said. "We'll protect you."

As the night deepened, the grove grew quiet. Tia and Lorin huddled together for warmth, their exhaustion finally overtaking them. Eryon sat watch, his mind racing. The strange energy he had unleashed scared him. What was it? Why was it happening to him?

The elder's words echoed in his mind: They will come for you.

Who were "they"? The bandits seemed ordinary enough, but the shadowy figures from the village were anything but. And what about the Voidfall? The answers felt just out of reach, shrouded in mystery.

Eryon's thoughts were interrupted by a faint glow in the distance. He stood, squinting through the trees. The light was unnatural, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat. Curiosity and caution warred within him, but his need for answers won out.

He glanced back at Tia and Lorin, ensuring they were still asleep, before venturing toward the light. The forest grew colder as he approached, the air heavy with an unearthly stillness. The glow intensified, revealing a small clearing.

At the center of the clearing was a crystalline shard, embedded in the ground. It pulsed with a mesmerizing light, casting long shadows across the trees. Eryon felt a strange pull, as if the shard was calling to him.

He stepped closer, his hand reaching out instinctively. As his fingers brushed the surface, a surge of energy coursed through him. Visions flooded his mind—images of a shattered world, of cities consumed by darkness, of armies clashing under a blood-red sky.

A voice echoed in his head, ancient and powerful: The balance has been broken. You must restore it.

Eryon staggered back, his heart pounding. The visions faded, but the weight of their meaning remained. The shard's light dimmed, its purpose fulfilled. He didn't fully understand what he had seen, but one thing was clear: his journey was far from over.

When he returned to the grove, Tia and Lorin were awake, their faces filled with worry. "Where did you go?" Tia asked, her voice trembling.

"I… I found something," Eryon said, his mind still reeling. "Something important."

He knelt beside them, his expression serious. "We can't stay here. There's something happening—something bigger than us. I don't know why, but I think I'm connected to it. And if we're going to survive, we need to keep moving."

Tia nodded, her trust in him unwavering. Lorin hesitated but eventually nodded as well.

The forest's shadows deepened as twilight set in, the last rays of sunlight filtering through the dense canopy. Eryon and Tia moved cautiously, their path obscured by the gnarled roots and overgrown vegetation. Every rustle of leaves and distant cry of wildlife made them flinch, their nerves raw from the events of the previous day. For Eryon, the weight of responsibility was a constant burden, but Tia's quiet resilience kept him focused.

"How much farther?" Tia asked, her voice trembling.

"Not much longer," Eryon replied, though he had no idea where they were going. He only knew they had to keep moving.

The faint scent of smoke reached his nostrils, and his heart sank. "Stay close," he whispered, tightening his grip on Tia's hand.

They crept forward, the scent growing stronger with each step. Soon, they came upon a small encampment nestled within the trees. A group of men clad in ragged armor sat around a fire, their weapons within arm's reach. Bandits.

Eryon pulled Tia behind a tree, his mind racing. They needed supplies, but the bandits were too dangerous to confront head-on. As he debated their next move, Tia tugged at his sleeve.

"Look," she whispered, pointing to the edge of the camp.

A cage sat near the fire, and inside was a young boy, no older than Tia. His face was dirty, his eyes hollow with fear. Eryon's stomach twisted. He couldn't leave the boy behind.

"Tia, stay here," he said firmly. "

"Where will we go?" he asked.

Eryon looked toward the horizon, where the first light of dawn was breaking through the trees. "To find answers. To find the truth."

As they set off, the forest seemed less oppressive, the weight of fear replaced by a flicker of hope. Eryon didn't know what lay ahead, but he was determined to face it. For Tia, for Lorin, and for the people of Eldenridge who had been lost.

Far behind them, in the clearing where the shard had been, the faint outline of a figure appeared. It watched their retreating forms, its eyes glowing with an eerie light. The hunt had begun.