Chapter 5: Echoes of the Fallen

The air was different now. Kaelen could feel it, even as his boots crunched over the broken stone of the canyon floor. The ember inside him no longer burned with untamed hunger but pulsed with quiet power — a steady rhythm, like a heartbeat. He had learned, at least in part, to control it. The forge, the Anvil of Ash, had stripped him of weakness and left him stronger, but it had also left something behind: a sharp awareness of the cost of power.

His training, under Selene’s watchful gaze, was just beginning. And yet, despite the gnawing fear at the back of his mind, Kaelen was ready. He had no choice but to be. The world would never give him time to rest. Every moment he hesitated, the gods who still played their games would twist his fate further out of reach.

Selene’s form glided through the canyon like a specter, moving with purpose. She was not waiting for Kaelen to catch up, nor did she seem concerned that he was trailing behind. Her pace was the same as it had been the day before: steady, unhurried. If Kaelen was going to survive, he would need to match her.

Her silence was unnerving. She spoke little, and when she did, her words were measured and often cryptic. But Kaelen had learned to read her gestures, her posture — little things that spoke volumes. She was a teacher of sorts, though not in the traditional sense. Her lessons were buried in her actions, in the way she moved, in the way she watched him, waiting for him to find his own answers.

But now, something was different. There was an edge to her movements, a certain tension in the air that Kaelen couldn’t ignore. The oppressive stillness of the canyon had been replaced by an unspoken anticipation.

"Something’s coming," Kaelen muttered under his breath.

Selene stopped suddenly, her gaze flicking to the sky, her fingers twitching slightly at her sides. The tension around her had grown palpable, and Kaelen could feel his pulse quicken in response. She was a weapon, honed and ancient, and whatever threat was approaching, she could sense it long before he could.

"Prepare yourself," Selene said, her voice low and sharp. "You are not ready for what is coming. But you must fight."

Kaelen nodded, though a deep sense of unease settled in his gut. They had been moving through the canyon for hours, and the oppressive silence had seemed to stretch on forever. Nothing had been as it seemed in this place, but he hadn’t expected danger so soon.

"Who or what are we fighting?" he asked, his hand instinctively drifting to the hilt of the dagger at his side. He had little else to defend himself with, but the ember inside him was still raw and untamed — he could rely on that if needed.

"You will see," Selene said cryptically, stepping forward again.

Kaelen was about to ask more, to press her for details, but then he felt it.

The ground beneath him trembled.

Not a violent shake, but a low, persistent rumble, like the earth itself was waking up. And then, rising from the dust ahead of them, came the sound of something immense moving. The earth groaned as if it were giving birth to something long-forgotten.

Before Kaelen could react, a shadow passed over them, large and stretching wide. He looked up just in time to see a shape descending from the high cliffs, a dark mass with wide, sweeping wings. It was a creature — but not like any he had seen before. Its body was covered in dark scales, and its eyes glowed a bright, unnatural orange. A long, jagged tail whipped behind it, tearing through the air with a scream that made the hairs on the back of Kaelen’s neck stand on end.

The creature landed with a thundering crash, sending waves of dust and debris into the air. It was at least three times the size of a horse, its wings folding with a hiss as it set its claws into the stone beneath it. Its gaze locked onto Kaelen, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow.

"Is that what you were expecting?" Kaelen asked, his voice dry. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his grip on his dagger tightened.

"No," Selene said, her expression grim. "But I had a feeling something like this would come."

The creature hissed again, and Kaelen could feel the heat of its breath from where he stood. It was no mere beast — it was something ancient, something sentient. And judging by the way it watched him, it had been waiting for something. Or someone.

"Get ready," Selene warned, her hand moving to the blade at her side. "This will be a test."

The creature’s mouth opened, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, and it let out a guttural roar that echoed through the canyon. Kaelen could feel the vibrations in his chest, and the ember inside him surged with sudden heat.

Kaelen drew on the ember instinctively, but as he did, something strange happened. The power he had learned to control — the same ember that had burned within him since Black Hollow — began to feel… different. It responded to the creature’s presence, as though it recognized the ancient force standing before them.

"Stay close to me," Selene said, her voice steady but with a hint of urgency. "And don’t let the ember control you. Not yet."

The creature’s eyes flickered to Selene, and for a moment, Kaelen thought he saw a flicker of recognition. Whatever this thing was, it knew her. But before he could ask, the creature lunged forward with a speed that defied its size, its claws scraping across the stone as it charged.

Kaelen’s heart leapt into his throat. This was no simple test. This was a fight for survival.

He didn’t wait for the creature to close the distance. Kaelen called on the ember fully, letting it rush through him like a flood of silver fire. The world around him exploded into sharp clarity as his senses sharpened. He saw every movement of the creature’s muscles, every shift of its massive frame. Time seemed to slow.

With a roar, Kaelen released the power he had been holding back. The air itself ignited with silver light as a shockwave of energy blasted outward, sending the creature skidding back several feet. Its roar turned to a hiss of fury as it recovered, its glowing eyes narrowing as it turned its attention back to Kaelen.

Selene was already moving, her blade of light flashing as she darted toward the creature’s flank. The creature reacted, spinning with unnatural speed to face her. Its massive tail lashed out, but Selene was faster. She ducked, moving with the fluid grace of someone who had fought this kind of battle countless times before. Her sword cleaved through the air, and the creature let out a shriek as it recoiled, a deep cut opening across its scales.

Kaelen didn’t hesitate. The ember surged again, and with a thought, he summoned a sphere of pure silver fire. He hurled it at the creature’s chest, the force of it sending the beast stumbling backward. But it was far from defeated.

The creature’s eyes glowed brighter, and it screeched again, its voice echoing through the canyon. The ground beneath them began to crack and splinter, as if the beast’s roar was shaking the very foundations of the earth. Kaelen’s heart pounded in his chest as the creature began to circle them, its claws scraping against the stone, its wings twitching in preparation for another strike.

"Focus, Kaelen!" Selene’s voice broke through his panic, steady and clear. "You’re not just fighting it — you’re fighting yourself. The ember is not a tool. It is a force. Use it, but do not let it use you!"

Kaelen’s mind cleared in an instant. He wasn’t just reacting to the creature. He was choosing how to fight. And the ember… the ember had a purpose, one that was now his to command.

Kaelen raised his hands, and the ember surged again. This time, he shaped it — not into raw power, but into something more precise, something controlled.

The creature lunged, its claws outstretched, but Kaelen’s will focused the ember into a blinding lance of silver fire. It struck the beast in the chest, and for a moment, the creature seemed to freeze. Its eyes widened in shock as the fire seared through its scales, leaving behind nothing but ash.

But then, with a deafening roar, the creature exploded into a cloud of darkness, dissipating into smoke that vanished into the canyon.

Kaelen stood frozen, breathing heavily, his mind racing. The ember had obeyed him. For the first time, it had responded not with raw violence, but with purpose.

Selene’s voice broke the silence.

"That was only a glimpse of what you can do. But be wary. Every action has its cost."

Kaelen looked at her, his chest heaving as he fought to regain control of his breath.

"What was that thing?"

Selene’s gaze was distant, her face shadowed with something Kaelen couldn’t quite place.

"An Echo. A remnant of the gods’ power, a guardian of forgotten places."

Kaelen swallowed, a chill running down his spine.

"It was waiting for us, wasn’t it?"

Selene nodded, her eyes narrowing.

"Waiting for you."

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(End of Chapter 5)