Chapter Thirty-Four:

  "Through Silence and Fire"

  Emberwood Forrest stirred with life, the scent of soil rising as Keira led her scouting party along the narrow path.

  The underbrush glistened with moisture, pyre flies drifting lazily between the trees, their soft glow swelling and fading in steady rhythms. Every step pressed into the softened ground, marking a trail that would vanish before long.

  The morning light filtered through the dense canopy in uneven patches, golden shafts piercing to the mist that clung to the forest floor.

  Tiny droplets of dew refracted the light, casting brief glimmers across the underbrush. The warmth of the rising sun barely touched the depths of Emberwood Forest, where dark recesses lingered beneath the towering trees.

  Rachel led the group, her eyes scanning every detail of the terrain, her mind already cataloging anything that could be of use. She raised a hand, signaling for them to halt.

  “Trouble?” Keira whispered, barely audible.

  Rachel crouched, pointing ahead as her HUD silently confirmed the creatures' presence. "Screech Owls," she murmured. "Sleeping."

  Keira’s gaze followed where Rachel pointed.

  Nestled in the tangled branches of the towering trees ahead were several small creatures, their round forms almost blending with the gnarled bark. Even in slumber, their unnaturally large eyes were unsettling, their breathing so shallow they barely seemed alive at all.

  “Evasion’s high,” Rachel continued, keeping her voice low. “If we wake them, they'll screech, disorienting, painful, and loud enough to draw attention we don’t want.”

  David exhaled slowly. “Lovely.”

  Keira nodded, motioning for them to move carefully. "Slow and light," she whispered, barely more than a breath. "Stay on the moss where you can, step where I step." Every movement had to be deliberate.

  "Got it. Quiet as a mouse." Chris breathed, giving a thumbs up.

  The damp earth softened their tread, but one wrong move, a pebble rolling, a branch breaking, would shatter the silence.

  Even their breath felt too loud.

  Every shift of leather, every brush of fabric, scraped against the quiet like a blade on stone. No one wanted to be the reason those creatures stirred.

  The forest felt alive as they maneuvered, even as the morning stillness amplified every tiny sound their gear made.

  The distant hum of pyre flies drifted in and out, hovering near but never touching. The village wasn’t far now. They just had to get through this.

  Chris sniffed, the sound impossibly loud in the hush. Rachel shot him a warning glance, her expression sharp enough to cut.

  Keira barely turned her head, catching the twitch in Chris’s expression. His shoulders locked, nostrils flaring, jaw clenched as if sheer willpower could cage what was coming.

  The moment stretched, unbearably taut, the entire group frozen, waiting, hoping. It was useless.

  Chris raised a finger to his nose, lips pressed tight, trying to hold it in.

  But it was inevitable.

  The sneeze burst out, sharp and sudden.

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  Silence.

  Then, one by one, the large, lidless eyes of the Screech Owls snapped open.

  The moment the Screech Owls’ eyes snapped open, the forest erupted into chaos.

  A piercing shriek tore through the air, a sound so sharp and unnatural that it felt like knives scraping against the inside of their skulls.

  Keira barely had time to react before the first wave of owls took flight, their dark forms darting through the trees, wings silent but deadly.

  Rachel moved first, instinct taking over as she yelled, "They’re diving, watch your blind spots!"

  A blur of movement, one of the creatures lashed out, razor-sharp talons catching David across the shoulder. He staggered back, gritting his teeth as blood seeped through the tear in his clothing.

  Another owl went for Rachel, claws raking across her arm before she twisted away, wincing as her health bar dipped slightly.

  Chris moved to intercept, his sword flashing as he slashed one of the creatures mid-flight. The owl burst into dust, but the energy from its dying cry coursed through his blade.

  His AP bar surged, and he acted on pure instinct. He shifted his stance, gripping his sword with both hands.

  "Eat this!" he cried, and with a swift arc, he swung his blade outward. A shockwave surged from the strike, the stolen attack of the Screech Owl's sent back at them.

  The eerie wail rebounded, amplified as it crashed into the remaining flock.

  The birds convulsed mid-air, their own power overwhelming them.

  They careened into trees, flapping wildly before several hit the ground with dull thuds.

  Keira didn’t waste a second. "David, get them stable!"

  David pressed a hand to his bleeding wound but moved first to Rachel, casting, "Mend."

  A warm glow surrounded his fingers, sealing the fresh gashes on her arm before he turned his focus to his own injury.

  Keira stood beside him, a ball of fire still glowing in one palm, scanning for any remaining threats that might disrupt their recovery.

  She hurled the flame toward a pair of circling owls that dared get too close.

  The fire struck true, igniting feathers in an instant. One let out a garbled cry before plummeting, vanishing into embers before it hit the ground.

  The other flailed mid-air, its flight pattern broken as it careened into the branches, smoldering before finally erupting into burning feathers.

  The last few remaining owls, battered and thrown into disarray, retreated into the upper canopy, their forms vanishing into the leaves.

  Silence settled once more, save for their ragged breathing.

  Rachel exhaled sharply. "Well, that could’ve been worse."

  Chris wiped his blade clean and shot her a smirk. "Yeah. You’re welcome."

  "For what? You sneezing?"

  "Oh, yeah... sorry about that." He gave a soft chuckle.

  Keira didn’t laugh. She turned to David, eyes scanning for any further wounds. "Everyone still standing?"

  He nodded. "They got some hits in, but we’re good."

  She exhaled, tension slowly leaving her frame. "Then let’s keep moving before something worse shows up."

  They walked for nearly an hour, the forest dense and still as the morning stretched on. The battle with the Screech Owls was behind them, but the tension had yet to fade.

  Their Map marked Emberwood Village as being only a few miles ahead, but the path remained winding, dense, and filled with the unknown.

  Keira’s eyes stayed forward, but her mind was elsewhere. They had survived the ambush, but it had been closer than she liked.

  Every battle drained them, and there were no safe places to recover, no guarantees that something worse wasn’t waiting just beyond the next bend. She also could feel the limitations of her abilities every time she manifested them. She had to find a way to get stronger.

  The thought barely settled when Rachel stopped abruptly, raising a hand.

  Rustling.

  What now?

  The sound was soft at first, barely more than a shift in the underbrush. Then it grew. Something was moving toward them.

  Keira didn’t hesitate. She ignited her lighter and flames came to life in her palm, heat rising into the air.

  Chris stepped forward, shield raised, his stance lowering in preparation for a strike.

  Rachel’s gaze sharpened, already committing every movement to memory. David shifted beside her, one hand ready to cast.

  The rustling stopped.

  A single figure stepped out from the thicket, hands raised slightly in a gesture of caution and surrender.

  Young, likely not much older than they were, but carrying themselves with quiet confidence. Their robes, embroidered in deep red and burnt gold, marked them as someone of high standing.

  The young woman’s gaze swept across the group, lingering on Keira’s open flame before locking onto her directly. "You’re not from Emberwood," she said, her voice steady but guarded. "I am Naida, an apprentice of the Fire Sages."

  Naida's eyes moved toward the disturbed path behind them. “The Screech Owls. That was you.”

  Rachel’s posture barely shifted. “They started it.”

  Naida exhaled slowly, lowering her hands. “They don’t wake up at this hour. Not unless something is deeply wrong.” Her attention settled on each of them in turn, cautious but calculating. “You’re Players.”

  Keira didn’t move. “You’ve seen others like us?”

  She hesitated, something unreadable crossing her expression. “No. But I’ve heard the stories. We all have.”

  Silence hung between them for a long moment, the air heavy with unspoken questions. Then, Naida straightened slightly, tilting her head toward the unseen village ahead.

  “You should come with me.”

  Keira exchanged glances with Rachel, Chris, and David. None of them spoke, but the decision had already been made.

  Without another word, they followed.