I awoke to the sight of vines interwoven so tightly that light barely crept through the cracks. I sat up and groaned a bit as my muscles ached. Looking around, I realized the vines surrounded me completely. It was like a dome of vines with no doors or windows that I could tell. I stood up to better inspect my situation when I remembered my final moments in the battle with the Warden.

  I quickly inspected my leg and found that it was completely healed. I put my weight on it to test, and it felt as strong as it had ever been. I started checking for other injuries but could only find scars that looked like they’d happened months ago. Other than some muscle soreness, somehow, I had made a full recovery.

  I turned my attention to the vines on the walls and tried my best to peek through the cracks. I could see nothing other than the occasional glimpse of someone walking by, as the light would go dark for a moment before returning.

  "Hey! Is anyone there?" I yelled.

  "Ryker, you're awake," came a familiar voice.

  I felt a huge sense of relief wash over me. "Harald, I'm so glad you're okay. How is Alyndra and the kids?"

  "Everybody is good, Ryker. You did good."

  I smiled, trying to see through the vines. "So, where am I? Can you let me out of here?"

  There was silence for a few moments. "I can't let you out, I'm sorry."

  "Okay... and why is that?"

  A few more moments of silence passed.

  "I'll let Eryndor know you're awake."

  The light started shining through again, and I knew Harald had left.

  "Wait! Harald, what the fuck is going on?"

  I waited but received no response. I started trying to pull the vines apart. They were tough, and every time I made a bit of progress, another vine shot out of the ground and took its place. After several attempts, I gave up and sat down on the pile of leaves that had been used as my bedding.

  I thought back on the battle with the Warden. He was incredibly strong. It was hard for me to imagine, but seeing it firsthand made me feel a bit hopeless. If I were to ever have a chance of beating him, I would need to train for years. And even then, he would only grow stronger during that time. I replayed the whole evening in my mind, trying to think of something I could have done differently.

  Suddenly, the vines in front of me pulled apart creating a doorway and sank back into the ground. The light shining through was bright, so I put my hand up to shield my eyes. A figure walked in, and the vines grew back, closing behind him.

  I lowered my hand, and to my shock, an elf was standing before me. I almost gasped at the sight of him. He looked much different than I had imagined elves would. His body appeared human, but he wore armor made of sticks and leaves, almost organic, as though it had grown around him and fused with his body. His hair and head seemed to follow a normal human shape, but his ears were pointed, just like the fairytales had described.

  The most striking feature, however, were his eyes. They were twice the size of a human’s and bulged out of his head. They moved independently of each other and were a light green color with strange, oddly shaped pupils.

  I stared at his eyes for a moment. They seemed somehow familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Then it hit me—his eyes looked exactly like those of a praying mantis. He was a strange blend of plant, human, and insect.

  I realized I had just been staring at him and quickly stood to my feet. He remained silent, his eyes scanning me in different directions. I gave him a slight bow of my head as a sign of respect and waited for him to speak.

  "You are not welcome here," he said simply. His voice had a very subtle buzzing to it, like the sound of a bee or a wasp flying by your ear.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and tensed up a bit. "Am I your prisoner?"

  "You are not a prisoner," he replied. "But you are also not free to leave when you wish."

  I gave him a look of disapproval and decided to be straightforward. "Listen, I know nothing of your people or these lands. I know you and the Warden are at war, so in our desperation to not be slaughtered, we ran into your forest."

  I felt myself starting to get heated, but I knew it was best to stay calm. I took a deep breath. "I apologize for my intrusion, but I had no other choice."

  He kept examining me with his strange eyes, seeming to contemplate something.

  "When nightfall arrives, my people will bring you a brew that will put you to sleep," he said. "Then we will transport you to the coast. You'll be far enough away from Kaedras that the Warden is likely to not find you."

  "Why do I have to be put to sleep? You have nothing to fear from me."

  He shook his head slightly. "The less you know, the better. But do not make the mistake of thinking we are afraid of a Chosen. We have defended this forest for thousands of years."

  I nodded, and the elf began to turn away.

  "Wait, what about Harald and his family?" I asked.

  He looked back at me. "They will be staying here."

  With that, he turned away again, and the vines shot back into the ground. As he exited, they grew back into place behind him.

  I turned around and sat back on the pile of leaves.

  "You okay, Ryker?" Harald said, returning.

  "Hey, yeah, I'm okay. What’s going on? I'm very confused, Harald."

  "I can understand that, the elves don’t trust the Chosen. They want to make sure you can’t see their home and learn some things that you shouldn’t be learning. They also don’t want to kill you, so they’re keeping you in this makeshift cage until they can safely bring you outside the forest. As for me and my family, we made a deal with them."

  My head jerked back, slightly confused. "What kind of deal?"

  Harald cleared his throat. "They knew who I was and what I did when I was with the Emberguard. I explained to them that I didn’t know the Warden was going to kill their leader. I panicked and did what I was trained to do. I told them how I left the Emberguard, and me and my family were exiled from the walls to live as lessers." He cleared his throat again. "I thought they were still going to kill me, but they didn’t. Instead, they offered to let me and my family stay and live under their protection until this war is over. In exchange, I’ll help them in any way I can and help protect the forest from any invaders. Once the war is over, we’ll be allowed to leave, but we must stay until that day arrives." He paused briefly. "I accepted their offer."

  I nodded and stared at the dirt for a few moments. "It does sound like a good deal," I said, a bit surprised at the elves' generosity.

  Harald laughed. "Eldrick is thrilled. He’s running around helping anyone he can, with a smile on his face the whole time."

  I laughed, picturing his excitement. "How’s Alyndra and Lirael?"

  "Lirael seems relieved that we’re safe. She’s been trying to make jewelry out of twigs and leaves but can’t seem to get it right. One of the elves cast a spell of some kind and had some vines grow around her wrist, with different-colored flowers blooming out. She was so happy, but she still wants to be able to make some herself." He stopped talking, and I waited for a moment. "And... Alyndra?"

  I heard him sigh. "She’s relieved that we’re out of danger, but she’s still pretty torn up about Jorik. We both are."

  "I can understand that," I said, not really knowing how I could help.

  "How long until nightfall? I can’t really tell what time of day it is from in here."

  I could hear Harald walking around, probably trying to get a good view of the sun. "not long."

  I thought about it and calculated that I must have been asleep for almost 20 hours straight. "I guess that battle took a lot out of me. I’ve been sleeping a long time."

  "You were wounded very badly. The elves had to use healing magic on you for hours before you were stable."

  I rubbed my leg a bit, remembering how badly broken it was. "Thank them for me. I’m not sure I’ll get the chance."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "I already have, but I will make sure they know you’re grateful."

  We stayed silent for a little while, and I just sat there thinking. Soon, me and Harald would be going our separate ways, and if I wanted to see him again, I would have to kill the Warden and bring peace to Kaedras.

  "I guess this is the last time we’ll get to just sit and chat like this for a while," Harald sighed. I heard him snap his fingers and light up a cigarette.

  "Oh, come on, that’s not fair. I don’t have any cigarettes," I said, and just then the vines in front of me opened up slightly. Harald’s arm stuck through, holding a cigarette.

  "Thank you," I said as he pulled his hand back and the vines closed again. I snapped my fingers, lighting it, and exhaled.

  "So, that fight was pretty intense," I said, rubbing my leg.

  "We got lucky. Really lucky," Harald continued. "If we hadn't made it to the forest, none of us would be alive." He paused, then added, "And that was just the Warden and a handful of guardsmen. Imagine the damage he and the entirety of his Emberguard could do."

  I thought for a moment. "How many guardsmen does he have under his command?"

  I heard Harald counting under his breath. "Three legions so far, so around 400 guardsmen, give or take."

  "Damn," I said, shaking my head, realizing the gravity of the situation. Harald continued, "The Warden's power, and those under his command, grow every day."

  There was a brief pause before Harald spoke again. "We saw it grow by one yesterday."

  I turned and stared at the vines separating me from Harald, wishing there was something I could say or do to take away his pain. I heard him clear his throat, fighting to keep his composure.

  "Do you think the elves can defeat him?" I asked.

  Harald sighed. "If he were to attack the forest now, he would surely lose. But since the elves will not leave the forest, the Warden has the luxury of time. He can keep growing his forces and building his strength until he has enough to overwhelm the elves. It's only a matter of time."

  I slammed my fist into the dirt. "Damn, there's got to be something we can do. We can't just wait for the Warden to come and kill us all."

  I tried to think of a plan—any plan—that could give us some kind of hope of stopping this.

  "The Stormkin," Harald said.

  I paused, trying to piece together what he was thinking. "You said they lived on the islands of the Fractured Sea?" I asked.

  "Yes, The only chance we have is if you can find the Stormkin and convince them to join you, to fight the Warden and his forces."

  I thought about it for a moment. The elves did say they would take me to the coast.

  Harald continued, "The Stormkin are tough people. Don't expect them to welcome you with open arms. You'll have to explain the situation to them and make them understand that it is in their best interest to help you stop the Warden. They are not ones to be used as pawns for anyone."

  Soon, the elves showed up and entered my cage, the vines closing behind them. They handed me the brew, and I hesitated before drinking it.

  "Harald, you still there?" I said nervously.

  "I’m here, brother."

  I took a deep breath, "Thank you for everything you and your family have done for me." My voice cracked a bit. "I will find a way to make the Stormkin help." I lifted the vial to my lips and gulped down the contents. One of the elves took the vial from me and motioned for me to lay down. I complied, and as everything started to fade, Harald spoke again.

  "I beleive in you, we will see each other again."

  I smiled and closed my eyes as I felt my body relax and drifted off to sleep.

  I awoke to the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. The sun shone brightly, warming my face. I sat up to see a beautiful, clear ocean. I was sitting on a sandy beach. Turning around, I saw the forest about 100 yards away. I stood up and scanned the area, trying to get my bearings. All I saw was an empty beach as far as I could see. I looked the other way, and it was the same. I felt as lost as I did when I first arrived here.

  I stopped and scanned the horizon of the ocean. It appeared to be open ocean, but I did see one island in the distance. It looked far—too far to swim. I needed a boat that could get me there. The problem was, I had no idea how to build a boat. Harald would know, I thought, but I quickly pushed that out of my mind. I was on my own now, and I needed to rely on myself.

  I looked back at the forest and the giant trees that grew there. I made my way to the edge of the forest and stood just before the woodline. "Hey, is anyone there?" I asked, but received no reply. I looked toward the treetops and scanned the bushes, seeing nothing. "I need materials to make a boat. If you could help me, I would be very grateful." Still, no response.

  I thought for a moment and decided maybe I could just take what I needed from the edge of the forest. I took one step inside, and vines quickly shot out of the ground, pushing me back onto the sand. I sighed and started making my way back to the water.

  I stood at the shoreline, watching the island, trying to see if I could make out any signs of civilization. From this far, all I could make out was a bit of green, but no smoke or anything that would indicate fire or life. I decided to just start walking. There was nothing else I could, so I walked.

  I walked the shoreline for a few hours until I finally saw something in the distance. As I got closer, I tried to make out what it was. To my surprise, it looked like a boat. I quickened my pace, eager to reach it, and noticed two people getting ready to push it into the water.

  "Hey!" I yelled, waving my hands back and forth to get their attention. I was still too far, and they didn't seem to hear me. I started running as fast as I could, screaming the whole time and waving my hands. They pushed the boat into the water and began paddling away.

  I soon reached the spot where they had originally been and yelled toward the water. "Hey! Come back!" I shouted. They stopped paddling and turned their gaze toward me. I put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. One of them put his paddle down and stood up to face me.

  "What do you want?" he asked, standing in a somewhat defensive posture.

  I straightened up, still breathing somewhat heavily. "Can you give me a ride to that island over there?" I said, pointing.

  "No, I will not. What business do you have there?"

  I started breathing normally again. "I'm looking for the Stormkin."

  The two men exchanged a glance. Then began paddling back, and their boat soon landed on the shoreline. They hopped off the boat and made their way toward me.

  Both men had white hair and dark, sun-kissed skin from years of sun exposure. They were both a foot taller than me, and they stood so close that I could feel a static energy emanating from them. The hair on my arms stood up, and as I met their gaze, I noticed both of their eyes were a light blue. Little lightning bolts flickered from their pupils, shooting outward. I also saw they both had their fists clenched, and I immediately knew these men were not friendly.

  I raised my hands in a gesture of peace and took a step back, but they quickly stepped forward again, closing the gap.

  "Please," I said, "I don't mean you any harm."

  They examined me more closely before continuing. "Humans are not welcome here, so I suggest you run back to Kaedras and hide behind your Warden." I felt anger rising inside me. "I just need to speak with your leader, please." One of the men shoved me hard. "The only way your getting to that island is if you kill us." he said. At this point, I could visibly see little sparks shooting from his body. My adrenaline was running full blast at this point. I looked at the man closest to me right in his eyes. I could see a thunderstorm in his iris's.

  "Fuck it." I said and punched him as hard as I could in the face.

  He stumbled and fell onto his back in the sand. The other one roared in rage and shot a bolt of lightning from his hand.

  I dove out of the way and returned with a blast of fire from mine. The man was engulfed in flames and quickly dove into the water to put it out.

  The other stood up recovering from my punch, lunged, and grabbed me. We both fell to the sand and began fighting for control.

  I came out on top and began reigning down punches. He covered his face blocking them as best as he could and a few connected, bloodying his face and dazing him.

  At this point his friend was running up to us out of the water and shot a bolt of lightning into me from behind. I felt my whole body tense up and the man escaped my grasp and quickly jumped up.

  I fell to the sand shaking as if I had just been tazed. "Your going to die now." The man I set on fire said, grabbing one of my feet and dragging me toward the ocean.

  The other followed and they both waded into the water with me floating behind them. He turned around and put his hands around my throat and pushed my head under the water all the way to the bottom. My head halfway in the sand, I tried to fight back but the other one also put his hands on my head. I opened my eyes trying to see, but being underwater and with the debris from the sand, I couldn't make out any details.

  I tried prying their hands off me but every time I got a hand off another one took its place. I started to panic a bit running out of breath frantically trying to find a way out of this situation.

  Then a notification popped up in my vision.

  Lightning magic increased to level 1

  My heart raced—every inch of my body screamed with the surge and I pushed my hand upwards as hard as I could. Electricity shot through the water and turned it into an electrified storm.

  The men immediately let go and I shot to the surface gasping for air.

  I hurried to the shore and fell to my knees coughing and spitting out water. I stood up and turned around to see the 2 men standing where I left them still recovering.

  I stood my ground and one of the men turned to the other. "What were you thinking?" He said clearly thinking the bolt came from him. He started running toward me and shot another bolt of lightning at me.

  I shot my arm forward and answered his with one of my own.

  The bolts collided exploding and sending crackling sparks throughout the area. He stared confused as I charged and tackled him to the ground.

  He stuck his arm out again trying to cast another bolt and I caught him by the wrist and pulled his arm backwards putting all my weight and strength behind it. I heard it snap and the man screamed in pain.

  I turned to the other man still standing in the water and he immediately put his hands up in a disarming gesture. "Ok, ok you win." He said as I made sure to ready my fire wave, I wanted him to see the flames burning in my opened hand.

  "Come here." I said and motioned next to his friend. The man complied and made his way next to the man still screaming on the ground.

  I looked back at the boat and then back at him. "Are you going to take me to the island or do I need to kill you and just go myself?" the man immediately pleaded. "No need for that we'll take you." I motioned toward the boat and the man helped his friend to his feet.

  He held his arm, trying to keep it as steady as possible to minimize the pain. The men climbed onto the boat, and I followed. The boat wasn't particularly big, but the three of us fit comfortably. The man with the broken arm sat with his eyes closed, holding his arm, while the other struggled to paddle by himself. He looked at me as if he was going to ask for help but thought better of it when I gave him the meanest stare I could muster. He looked forward again and continued paddling, trying to get us past the waves. It took a while, but eventually, we made it, and the man opened the sails. The wind caught them, and we noticeably started moving much faster. I looked back at the beach, which was getting smaller by the second.

  "How long until we arrive?" I asked. The man answered without making eye contact. "A couple of hours."

  I kept my eyes on the two men, not wanting to give them the chance to attack again.

  "Where did you learn lightning magic?" the man asked, and I debated what I should tell him.

  "I just learned it. From you," I said, and the his eyes grew wide.

  "You're a Chosen." he said.

  I nodded, and the man rubbed his hands over his face, looking concerned.

  "Why? You got a problem with that?" I asked.

  He sighed. "Darian's going to kill me."

  I stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to clarify.

  "Who is Darian?" I finally asked, a bit annoyed.

  "That's who I'm taking you to see."

  I nodded and replied, "I just want to talk to him. I'm not here to start trouble."

  The man kept rubbing his face. "When he finds out that you're Chosen, he's going to kill us both."