A Flame in the FOREST
1012 Words
Branches tore at Cael’s arms as he ran. The disc—still warm—burned against his palm, and he dared not stop long enough to wrap it in cloth. Behind him, hoofbeats cracked through the night air like bones breaking. Closer now. Fast.
He didn’t know who they were.
But they hadn’t called out. Hadn’t asked questions. That told him enough.
The path behind the stables led into the lower woodlands. Not many dared go this way after dark—the forest was thick and tangled, and the stories said things lived here that didn’t walk by day. But to Cael, it was better than the guards, or whoever they were, finding him with the relic.
He veered off the path and slid down the muddy slope toward the gully, where a stream ran shallow and fast. The water might cover his trail, if only for a little while.
He splashed through it, the freezing water biting his legs. A low-hanging branch smacked him across the face, and he gasped, almost falling. But he kept going.
Keep moving.
The sound of hooves began to fade behind him—replaced by silence.
Not peace. Not safety. Just… the kind of silence that listened back.
He paused near the ruins of an old stone altar, half-buried in vines and moss. The trees grew so thick here they seemed to bend toward one another, forming a canopy that blocked the moonlight.
Cael fell to his knees, panting.
His hands were raw from digging. His lip bled where he’d bitten it running. But still—he was alive.
And he had it.
He opened his hand.
The disc didn’t glow now. In the faint light, it looked dull, almost ordinary. But he knew better. Whatever it was, it had called to him. And Tibbs had known it, too.
“The relic sings…”
Why? Why him? He wasn’t special. Just a stable boy. No name. No family. Nothing but a scar on his right shoulder and memories he didn’t want.
He heard something then. Not hooves.
A twig snapped.
He spun, heart leaping into his throat.
A figure stepped out from behind a tree. Hooded, cloaked in forest colors, holding a dagger—not raised, but ready.
“Drop it,” she said, calm as a still lake.
Cael stared. She was young—maybe a few years older than him. Light hair tied back, sharp gray eyes under her hood. She didn’t look like a bandit. She looked… precise.
He didn’t move. “It’s not— I didn’t steal it.”
“You’re bleeding,” she said, stepping closer. “And you’re holding something that shouldn’t be here.”
Cael gripped the disc tighter. “I found it.”
“In the dirt?”
“In the stables,” he said. “Under the old stones.”
She frowned. “You shouldn’t be holding it.”
“You’re holding a knife.”
“Fair point.” She lowered the blade slightly. “But I’m not the one lighting up half the forest with stolen relics.”
“It didn’t— I didn’t mean to—” Cael stopped. “Wait. You know what this is?”
She tilted her head. “I have guesses. And if I’m right, you’re in a great deal of danger.”
“You think I don’t know that?” he snapped, the fear finally rising past his ribs.
The girl blinked at his tone, but didn’t back away. “Alright. What’s your name?”
“Cael.”
“Cael what?”
“I don’t have a last name.”
She hesitated, then gave a small nod. “Liora.”
Silence passed between them like breath.
Liora lowered her dagger fully and glanced behind her. “You were being chased.”
“Yeah.”
“By soldiers?”
Cael hesitated. “I think so. They didn’t wear the king’s red. No colors at all.”
That made her expression darken. “Then they weren’t soldiers. They were Seekers.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” she said grimly, “someone powerful knows what you found. And they’ve already sent people to kill you for it.”
The words hit Cael like cold water.
“Why?” he asked.
Liora looked at the disc. “Because that’s not just a relic. It’s a tether. A piece of a bond forged with something much older than kings.”
Cael shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Neither does surviving an object like that without your blood boiling out of your eyes.” She studied him. “But here you are.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” Cael said, his voice raw.
“No one ever does,” Liora murmured.
She turned and walked back toward the path. After a few paces, she looked over her shoulder.
“Well? You can stay here and freeze, or come with me. I’ve got a safe place, and I can help you figure out what the hell that thing is.”
Cael didn’t move.
“Why would you help me?” he asked.
Liora gave a half-smile. “Maybe I’m curious. Maybe I believe you’re not lying. Or maybe,” she added, eyes narrowing, “I’ve been looking for something like that for a long time, and you just stumbled into it.”
He stood slowly, hand still gripping the disc.
“Alright,” he said. “But if you try anything—”
“You’ll what? Throw a rock at me?” she said dryly.
He flushed.
“Relax. I don’t need to hurt you. I just want to know why the relic chose you.”
She started walking again.
Cael followed, not because he trusted her—but because he had nowhere else to go. And if what she said was true, he’d already made his choice the moment he unearthed the disc.
Behind them, deep in the trees, something moved.
Something slow. Watching.
But neither of them saw it.
Not yet.
- Writer
