Page 76 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
"Stop talking like that, Ash," Cade's head finally collapsed into my lap, him heaving with deep sobs. "I can't do this without you. I can't..."
"I wish Rosa was here," Bella muttered, her voice thick with desperation, wiping her own tears onto her sleeve as shecrouched beside me, her hand on my thigh. "She'd know what to do..."
Just as she spoke, an eerie wind swept through the sanctuary, a gust from a distant, ethereal place. It carried a chill that seemed to seep into my very bones, making me shiver despite the heat radiating from my wound. The wind carried the scent of ancient forests and forgotten dreams, and it felt like the world itself was whispering secrets.
A figure appeared in the doorway to the throne room, their form draped in ragged clothes. The hood was pulled low over their head, and the cloak they wore was burned at the edges, as if they had walked through the fires of the Infernal Depths themselves. The face beneath the hood was gaunt, the skin etched with more wrinkles than cracks on a mountain. Scraggly gray hairs hung out from under the hood, and a long beard flowed down to their belt, a testament to the countless years they had walked the earth.
Hunter and Cade drew their swords instantly, their eyes narrowing as they prepared to defend us against this new threat. But Cade's expression changed quickly, his sword lowering as realization dawned on his face. "It's him," he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of relief and reverence. "It's Myrathyn."
Bella stood protectively between the mystic and me, her fists balled up, ready to fight if necessary. But Cade placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, urging her to step aside. "Let him approach," he said, his voice steady despite the anxiety that gripped us all.
Myrathyn walked slowly toward me, his steps measured and deliberate. He knelt down beside me, the scent of warm spring sunshine and dew filling the air around him. He took my hand in his, his touch gentle but firm, and kissed my fingers . His lips were dry like tree bark, and scratched my skin. I opened my eyes to the feeling of bursting light and flower petals inside me, a sensation that was both breathtaking and overwhelming. It wasas if the very essence of spring had exploded within me, filling me with a warmth and vitality that seemed to radiate from every pore. The pain in my side vanished, replaced by a tingling sensation that spread throughout my body, healing and rejuvenating me.
I sat up, my heart pounding as I looked around in amazement. The wound on my side was gone, sealed and healed as if it had never been there. I felt a surge of strength and energy, a renewed sense of purpose and determination.
Myrathyn stepped back, his eyes filled with a knowing wisdom that seemed to reach into the depths of my soul. I quickly realized I was sitting in his throne, the vines and thorns intertwined in a pattern that seemed to reflect the very essence of the ancient sanctuary.
I jolted out of the throne, my eyes widening as I took in the sight of the mystic. "You... you saved me! Thank you, thank you!" I stammered, my voice filled with awe and reverence.
I stepped back in awe of the mystic as he groaned, slowly taking his rightful throne. He slumped, seeming as old as time itself. His beard folded onto his legs and his dim eyes gazed down and to the side. It almost appeared he was going to return to his long slumber. The throne itself was carved from the root system of a long-dead tree, its gnarled wood fused with stone and crystal, pulsing faintly with green light that throbbed in time with his breath. Vines shimmered with dew despite the absence of rain, and bioluminescent fungi clung to the walls of the sanctuary, casting a soft, ghostly glow. The air hummed with something ancient—older than language, older than fire—a kind of quiet knowing. As he finally lifted his gaze to meet ours, the temperature in the room dropped, and runes hidden in the stone walls flared to life, tracing the edges of the chamber in slow-burning lines of silver. Time seemed to bend inward, folding around this moment.
The others approached the old mystic cautiously. Theymuttered that they couldn't let him fall back asleep. They needed to wake him somehow. While they we all three distracted, I felt a familiar, and welcome presence behind me.
Cornelius half-appeared behind me, his voice filled with urgency. "Ash, listen to me. The mystic is a Druidaan. It's a race of men that are gifted with ancient magic. This one is in its final stage of life. Some call them prophets or sages, but they're known for their rarity and their ability to see truth—past or present. You can ask the Druidaan one question, and he will give you the truest answer. Be very specific about the question you ask, and think carefully about what you ask. You must place your hand on his, and he will cover your hand with his other. Then you ask the question in your mind, and he will answer back."
Cornelius disappeared, leaving me with a sense of urgency and importance. I turned to the others, my voice filled with a mix of excitement and trepidation. "He's called a Druidaan. Each of us can ask the mystic one question. He will give you the truest answer. But be careful and specific about what you ask."
The sanctuary fell into a hushed silence as each of us thought deeply about the questions we desired to ask.
Bella was the first to step forward, her glacier-blue eyes filled with a mix of fear and hope. "I think I know mine..."
"Go ahead," I said .
She placed her hand on the mystic's, and he covered it with his other hand, his gaze steady and unyielding. Bella closed her eyes, her lips moving silently as she asked her question. Tears welled in her eyes as she received her answer, a flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She stepped back, her face pale but filled with a newfound determination.
She came beside me and I put my hand on her back as she sobbed.
"I'm ready," Hunter said, his voice courageous. With a deep breath he approached the mystic sitting in his old throne overtaken by time.
He went next, his expression stoic and unreadable. He placed his hand on the mystic's, his gaze locked onto the ancient figure before him. After receiving his answer, Hunter's face went white as a ghost, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. He stepped back, his hand trembling slightly as he tried to process the revelation. He stood at Cade's side, but then dropped to his butt with his legs crossed, still stuck in shock of whatever answer he received.
Cade approached the mystic with a stern and resolute expression, his eyes never leaving the ancient figure. "There's only one question I have and need the answer to. Here it goes..." He placed his hand on the mystic's, his jaw set firmly as he asked his question. After receiving his answer, Cade looked at me with a stern and knowing glance, a nod of understanding passing between us.
The curiosity of the what the others asked was brimming inside me like a soapy bubble ready to burst. But there would be time for that later. I took a deep breath, looking beside me to Bella's kind eyes. She wiped her tears away. "Go ahead, Ash."
Finally, it was my turn. I took a deep breath, my heart pounding as I approached the mystic. I placed my hand on his, feeling the warmth of his touch and the ancient power that seemed to radiate from his very being. I closed my eyes, my mind racing as I thought carefully about the question I wanted to ask. There were many answers I yearned for, but I could only pick one. I wanted to know about my parents, but now that I knew my real family name, and was no longer a Mist, I may get answers later. I wanted to know the secret of life, where we came from, and what our purpose was. But... There was only one question that I truly needed an answer to...
"How do I defeat the queen so that no one may ever be born into the life of slavery I was forced into?" I asked in my mind, my voice filled with a mix of hope and desperation.
The mystic's voice echoed through my thoughts, his words filled with a profound wisdom and truth. "You may or may notdefeat the queen. That much has many variables I cannot see. But to defeat the queen, you must reach deep into yourself and your ancestry. She is Cinderyn, and you are Aqualorian. Cinderyn has always held the position of top predator in this world, so for you to defeat the queen, you must be prepared to suffer, to get close, and when the time comes, to search your soul for the one strength you have over her. In that moment, I hope you find what you need. But remember, you are far more than a mere slave girl, Ashlyn Moonriver. You are the Gold-Marked. You command the Gilded Radiance, the finest gift of Odiun. You must persevere and find a way. For if you can't defeat the queen, then I fear no one else can. Cade will die, Bella will die, and your dragons will die. Where there is courage, there is hope, and while you cannot change who you are, you can plant a seed there and from it will grow a tree of mighty roots, roots so deep, legends will be told of it for ages. Farewell. Be true to yourself, and trust in your friends. We will not meet again."
I opened my eyes wide with a newfound energy and a warm smile as I looked at the old man. "Thank you." He nodded back. With a groan, he shifted in his throne and fell into a deep sleep. He looked as if he were a part of his throne.
I stepped back beside the others as his eyes closed as he returned to his never-ending, magic slumber.
Bella put her arms around me, and Cade's burning gaze fixed onto me. Hunter stood beside us all, still pale, but looking better.
There was so much to do, so much yet to fight for.
