Chapter 2: The Golden Relic
289 Words
Kael did not lower his sword. The girl, whose name he soon learned was Elara, collapsed near the warmth of the fire. The golden relic she held continued to pulse, casting long, dancing shadows against the broken stone walls of the ruins. It felt alive, humming with a power that Kael hadn't felt since the fall of the Iron-Blood citadel.
"You don't understand," Elara gasped, her breath visible in the freezing night air. "The Black Sun soldiers are not just coming for the relic. They are coming to erase the last of your kind. They know you are still alive, Kael.
"Kael looked at his scarred hands. The memories of the Great War rushed back—the screams, the smell of smoke, and the betrayal of the High Kings. He had chosen exile to forget, but it seemed the world was not done with him yet.
"Why me?" he asked, his voice low.
"Because only a warrior with Iron-Blood can activate the seal," she replied, pointing to the relic. "If the enemy gets it, they will summon an army of shadows that no mortal can stop. You are the only shield left between them and the innocent.
"Suddenly, a loud crack echoed from the woods below. A flock of black birds took flight, screaming into the night. Kael's instincts screamed. They were here.
"Stay behind me," Kael commanded, his voice shifting into the tone of a Commander. He stepped into the darkness, the edge of his broken blade glowing faintly as the first armored soldier emerged from the mist, their eyes glowing with an unnatural, dark light.
The Last Warrior was no longer hiding. The battle had found him.
- Writer
