THE KINGDOM BENEATH THE MOON

Chapter 10: The Forest Crown

Dawn never came to Marrow.

Not truly.

The underground kingdom remained beneath the mountains, lit by thousands of lamps, while the world above was hidden behind layers of stone.

Yet everyone knew morning had arrived.

The bells announced it.

The soldiers moved through the streets.

Families were escorted toward the eastern tunnels.

And beyond the walls, something continued to whisper beneath the earth.

Elyan stood at the entrance to the passage.

Kael was beside him.

Lyra checked the straps on her traveling bag.

Seraphine tightened the buckle on her armor.

Aethron stood several feet away, watching the others.

Elyan glanced at him.

"You said we're going to Eldryn."

"Yes."

"How long?"

"If we travel without stopping, perhaps a day."

"And if the Firstborn find us?"

Aethron looked toward the tunnel.

"They already have."

Elyan frowned.

"What?"

Aethron pointed toward the ceiling.

A faint black mark had appeared across the stone.

"The Veil is thinning."

Lyra approached.

"Then every place connected to the ancient magic will become vulnerable."

"Correct."

Seraphine looked at Aethron.

"How many crowns do we need?"

"All seven."

"And we have none."

Aethron looked at Elyan.

"We have one."

Everyone turned.

Elyan looked confused.

"Which one?"

"The Moon Crown."

Elyan remembered the crown in Valen.

The one that had shattered when he touched it.

"You said it belonged to you."

"It does."

"Then where is it?"

Aethron's expression changed.

"With your mother."

Elyan stared at him.

"So we need to find her."

"Eventually."

"Eventually?"

Aethron nodded.

"If we go to Nymor now, the Firstborn will follow."

"So we find the other crowns first."

"Yes."

Kael stepped forward.

"Then let's go."

Aethron looked at him.

"You haven't changed."

Kael smiled faintly.

"Neither have you."

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Aethron turned away.

"Stay close to Elyan."

Kael's expression hardened.

"I don't take orders from you anymore."

"Then take them from your son."

Kael looked at Elyan.

Elyan sighed.

"Please don't start."

Lyra smiled.

"We're going to have a long journey."

The Road to Eldryn

They left Marrow through an eastern tunnel.

After several hours, the passage began to rise.

Cold air entered through cracks in the stone.

Then sunlight appeared.

Elyan shielded his eyes.

He hadn't realized how much he missed the sky.

The group emerged on a mountain slope.

Far below stretched a vast forest.

It seemed endless.

Trees covered every hill.

Mist moved between the branches.

At the center of the forest stood a gigantic tree that rose far above everything around it.

Its leaves were silver.

Its trunk was wider than a castle.

Elyan stared.

"That's Eldryn?"

Lyra nodded.

"That's the Heartwood."

"What is it?"

"The oldest living tree in the world."

Aethron looked toward it.

"And beneath it lies the Forest Crown."

They traveled through the forest.

The trees became denser.

The path disappeared.

Lyra took the lead.

"Stay close."

Elyan followed.

"How do you know where we're going?"

"I grew up here."

"Then why did you leave?"

Lyra didn't answer.

Elyan noticed her expression.

He decided not to ask again.

The forest seemed strangely quiet.

No birds.

No insects.

Not even wind.

Kael stopped.

"Something's wrong."

Aethron looked around.

"Yes."

Seraphine raised her sword.

"What?"

Kael pointed toward the trees.

"They're watching us."

Elyan looked around.

He saw nothing.

Then two green eyes appeared between the branches.

Another pair.

Then another.

Lyra whispered:

"Forest Guardians."

Figures emerged from the trees.

They were humanoid, but their bodies were covered in bark and vines.

Each carried a wooden spear.

The largest stepped forward.

"Lyra Ashborne."

Lyra bowed.

"Elder."

The guardian looked at Elyan.

Its expression changed.

"Moonfire."

Aethron stepped forward.

"We seek the Forest Crown."

The guardian raised its spear.

"You cannot have it."

Seraphine frowned.

"Why?"

"The crown has chosen its keeper."

Elyan asked:

"Who?"

The guardian looked at Lyra.

"She knows."

Everyone turned toward her.

Lyra's face became pale.

"No."

The guardian nodded.

"You are the last Ashborne."

Elyan looked at her.

"What does that mean?"

Lyra stepped backward.

"My family guarded the Forest Crown."

"Guarded it?"

"For centuries."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know if it would matter."

The guardian lowered its spear.

"It matters now."

They were led to the Heartwood.

The closer they came, the more enormous the tree became.

Its roots formed natural bridges.

Its branches disappeared into the clouds.

The trunk had a doorway carved into it.

Lyra placed her hand against the bark.

The tree opened.

Inside was a chamber filled with green light.

At the center stood a pedestal.

On it rested a crown.

It wasn't made of metal.

It was made from living branches.

Small leaves grew from it.

Elyan could feel its magic from across the room.

"The Forest Crown."

Aethron nodded.

Lyra walked toward it.

The crown began glowing.

Elyan noticed tears forming in her eyes.

"What is it?"

Lyra whispered:

"My family's oath."

She touched the crown.

A voice filled the chamber.

"Will you protect the world?"

Lyra closed her eyes.

"Yes."

"Even if the world does not protect you?"

She hesitated.

"Yes."

"Even if you must stand alone?"

Lyra looked at Elyan.

Then at Seraphine.

Then Kael.

Finally, she looked at Aethron.

"No."

The voice became silent.

Lyra continued:

"I won't stand alone."

The crown floated upward.

Branches wrapped around her wrist.

Green light filled the chamber.

The Forest Crown accepted her.

Aethron nodded.

"The first crown."

The moment Lyra took the crown, the forest screamed.

Trees bent.

Birds flew from the branches.

The ground shook.

Elyan looked toward the doorway.

"What is happening?"

The guardian appeared.

"Someone has entered the forest."

"Who?"

The guardian's eyes became black.

"The Firstborn."

Aethron drew his sword.

"How many?"

The guardian looked toward the sky.

"Thousands."

Seraphine tightened her grip.

"Then we fight."

Aethron shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because they don't want the forest."

He looked at Elyan.

"They want the crown."

Lyra stepped forward.

"Then they'll have to come through me."

The forest began moving.

Roots tore through the ground.

Branches formed walls.

The Guardians raised their weapons.

Kael stood beside Elyan.

"Stay behind me."

Elyan shook his head.

"No."

Kael looked at him.

"I'm not a child."

"I know."

"Then stop treating me like one."

Kael smiled.

"Your mother said the same thing."

Elyan smiled despite himself.

Then the trees exploded.

The Firstborn army entered the forest.

They came through the trees like shadows.

Some were human.

Others were strange creatures covered in black armor.

At the center walked the masked Firstborn Elyan had seen before.

It stopped.

Its silver mask reflected the green light of the forest.

"Give us the crown."

Lyra stepped forward.

"No."

"You cannot protect it."

"We'll see."

The Firstborn raised one hand.

The forest darkened.

Black energy spread across the ground.

The Guardians attacked.

Trees moved.

Roots erupted.

The Firstborn army pushed forward.

Elyan released Moonfire.

Silver light struck the darkness.

For a moment, the two forces collided.

Then something unexpected happened.

The Forest Crown reacted to Elyan's magic.

Green and silver light merged.

A massive wave spread through the forest.

The Firstborn soldiers were thrown backward.

Aethron stared.

"The crowns are responding to him."

Kael looked at Elyan.

"Because he's connected to all seven."

Elyan turned.

"What?"

Kael's expression changed.

"The Firstborn didn't create you to open the Veil."

Elyan stared.

"Then why?"

"Because they needed someone who could unite the crowns."

Aethron's face darkened.

"And if he does?"

Kael looked toward the Firstborn.

"They can use him to control the Veil."

The masked Firstborn stood again.

It looked directly at Elyan.

"Now you understand."

Elyan raised his hands.

"I understand enough."

"You cannot escape what you are."

"I don't need to escape."

Silver fire gathered around him.

"I just need to choose what I become."

The Firstborn smiled.

"Then choose."

It removed its mask.

Elyan stared.

The face beneath wasn't monstrous.

It was human.

A young man.

Someone Elyan recognized.

He had seen him in the visions.

Standing beside Aethron.

Standing beside his mother.

A Moonbound warrior.

Elyan whispered:

"Who are you?"

The man smiled.

"My name is Caelan."

Kael stepped forward.

His face went pale.

"Caelan."

Elyan looked at him.

"You know him."

Kael nodded.

"He was my brother."

The forest fell silent.

Caelan looked at Kael.

"You left us."

Kael's grip tightened around his sword.

"I left the Firstborn."

"You abandoned your family."

"No."

Kael raised his weapon.

"I protected my son."

Caelan looked at Elyan.

"Then your son will finish what you started."

He raised his hand.

The sky above the forest turned black.

The Firstborn army disappeared.

Not defeated.

Gone.

Aethron looked upward.

"They're retreating."

Lyra frowned.

"Why?"

Caelan's voice echoed through the forest.

"Because we don't need to fight you here."

Elyan looked toward the sky.

"What do you mean?"

Caelan smiled.

"We already have what we came for."

Everyone froze.

Lyra looked at her wrist.

The Forest Crown was still there.

Then she realized.

A black mark had appeared beneath it.

The Firstborn had touched the crown.

Aethron's expression became grim.

"He's marked it."

Lyra stared at the symbol.

"What does that mean?"

Aethron answered:

"It means they can track us."

The Second Journey

The forest remained silent after the Firstborn vanished.

The Guardians began repairing the damage.

Lyra stared at the black mark beneath the Forest Crown.

"Can you remove it?"

Aethron shook his head.

"Not easily."

"Then what do we do?"

"Find the next crown."

Seraphine looked at the map.

"The Sea Crown."

Aethron nodded.

"Serath."

Kael looked toward the west.

"We'll need ships."

Elyan looked at him.

"We don't have any."

Seraphine smiled faintly.

"I do."

Everyone turned.

"Your family has a fleet?"

She nodded.

"The largest in the seven kingdoms."

Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?"

"Nobody asked."

Elyan laughed.

It was the first time he had laughed in days.

For a brief moment, everything felt almost normal.

Then the ground shook.

The Heartwood groaned.

Everyone turned.

Far away, beyond the forest, the black moon had changed.

The silver cracks had spread across its entire surface.

Aethron looked at it.

"One day."

Elyan's smile disappeared.

"What?"

"That's how long we have."

"Until the Veil opens?"

Aethron shook his head.

"Until the first Firstborn crosses."

Elyan looked at the Forest Crown.

Then at the road leading west.

"Then we sail tonight."

Far beneath Nymor, a woman stood inside an ancient chamber.

She held a silver crown in her hands.

Her dark hair fell around her shoulders.

She looked toward the enormous door behind her.

The Moon Crown began to glow.

She whispered:

"Elyan."

A voice answered from the darkness.

"He has taken the first crown."

The woman closed her eyes.

"Yes."

"He is becoming stronger."

"I know."

"Then why haven't you stopped him?"

She looked toward the door.

"Because he's my son."

A shadow moved behind her.

"And when he opens the Veil?"

The woman tightened her grip on the crown.

"He won't."

"You cannot control what he is."

"No."

She looked at the Moon Crown.

"But I can still choose what I do."

The shadow laughed.

"You sound like your mother."

The woman turned.

"Don't mention her."

The darkness grew.

"You know what happens next."

She looked toward the sealed door.

Beyond it, something enormous moved.

"I know."

The woman raised the Moon Crown.

"And I'm ready."

Above her, the black moon cracked again.

One day remained.