Page 70 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
"We’ll figure something out, Cade. We always do.” Hunter's words were laced with perseverance, but with a tinge of worry.
His words, though meant to comfort, hung heavy in the air.We always do. But did we? This wasn’t like escaping Garris or outsmarting a drunken forge worker. This was the Blaze Queen we were up against—a woman who commanded armies, wielded fire magic, and sought ultimate power. What chance did we really have?
I looked around the crumbling ruins, the ancient stones whispering old tales as I let out a deep breath, knowing that the only way forward was to face the uncertainty, to take each step as it came. But the worry gnawed at me, a sense of disquiet that whispered doubts through my mind. The only sound in the room was the low crackle of Errax shifting her weight behind me, feeling my unease as she grunted.
"The forest. We need to search the forest. He can’t have gotten far. Maybe he left a clue… or something.” My voice cracked, but I forced myself to press forward, fighting off the despair that threatened to consume me.
Cade nodded, but his gaze was distant, his thoughts elsewhere. "We should split up," he said, his voice barely audible. "We need to cover more ground. If Myrathyn is out there, we need to find him quickly. Before the queen finds us."
Hunter glanced at Bella, his expression hardening. "Come on, Bella. Get on Talonor. We need to find your mystic and get the answers we need."
Bella nodded, her face pale but determined. She followed Hunter out the door, leaving Cade and me alone in the sanctuary.
As the sounds of their footsteps faded away, I looked up at Cade, my heart aching for him in a way I hadn’t expected. He looked so utterly orphaned, like a child lost in the woods, and it sparked a fierce need in me to protect him, to save him from the pain that seemed to consume him.
"Cade…" I breathed, my voice barely audible.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a sorrow that mirrored my own despair. "I’m sorry, Ash. I thought… I thought the mystic would be here. I thought…" His words trailed off, and he looked away, running a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh.
I stepped closer to him, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and longing. I reached out, my hand hesitating slightly before it landed gently on his shoulder. "You need to hold onto hope, Cade. We’re going to find Myrathyn, and he’s going to help us. We have to hold onto hope, Cade," I whispered, my voice filled with determination.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a sorrowful gratitude that made my heart ache for him. His hand found mine, covering it gently as he squeezed. "Thank you, Ash. You have no idea how much that means to me…" His words were barely audible, but they filled me with a warmth that seemed to burn away the despair that threatened to consume me.
"We’re going to find Myrathyn, Cade. I promise." I whispered.
His eyes met mine, filled with a mix of pain and hope. "I hope so," he said . "But if we don’t… if I can’t save you from the queen…" He squeezed my hand again, his gaze never leaving mine. “I need you to promise me you’ll keep running, Ash. I can’t lose you…”
My heart pounded with a mix of emotions, the weight of his words threatening to crush me beneath their weight. "I promise," I whispered, my eyes filled with tears. "But you can’t lose hope either, Cade. Promise me that you’ll keep fighting, that you won’t give up on me…"
He nodded, his eyes filled with determination. “I promise, Ash. I’ll fight for you, and for Allovan. I’ll find a way to defeat the queen and bring an end to her tyranny,” he said, his voice filled with resolve.
"Then let’s go find Myrathyn. Whatever we need to defeat the queen, he’ll have the answers."
Cade nodded, his gaze shifting to the door. "We need to get moving. Every moment we waste here…"
"I know. Let’s go."
Without another word, we turned and made our way out the sanctuary, our determination to find the mystic fueling every step. As we left the ancient structure behind, the forest swallowed us, its dense underbrush thickening the air with an ominous hum. The shadows of the trees seemed to darken the morning light, casting a threatening veil over everything. But our resolve never wavered, our determination to find the mystic and defeat the queen fueling every step. We needed answers, and we were going to get them… no matter what it took, no matter what we had to face.
The winds halted and I stopped mid-stride. The others continued on as I paused. Looking around, I noticed the eerie forest had gone deathly silent. No chirping insects, no hooting owls, no pecking woodpeckers. Nothing.
"Ash?" Bella noticed me falling behind.
"Listen," I breathed.
Cade and Hunter glanced around with deep worry, quickly noticing the lack of life.
Like the beat of a heavy drum, or the blowing of a silver, royal horn, the thunderous explosion of wildlife lifted from the trees. Thousands of birds of all varieties took to the sky, accompanied with every winged creature I could imagine. Everything from locusts to bats scuttled off into the sky, heading south. I gasped, sweat wetting my palms.
"Cade?" I muttered.
Then we got our answer in the form of the most terrifying sound I could have imagined. It was monstrous like nothing I've heard before. Deep and brimming with a thirst for violence. Distant enough to be drowned out by the forest, but near enough to know exactly that nothing else in the world could make that sound. It was a roar from the north that caused every beast in the forest to flee for their lives. The notion quickly hit me that the animals didn't flee from the appearance of Krakos, but they fled from this new monstrosity.
"It's her..." Cade put his hand quickly on the hilt of his huge sword.
"Brigodon," Hunter uttered with deep concern.
She's finally come for me... No more Sythers, not more ogres or hunters... The queen has finally come for me... I clenched my wet fists, but deep down I knew... I knew I wasn't ready to fight the most powerful being in existence.
