The sun was barely cresting the horizon as the group made their way toward Weylhall. The dry wind kicked up red dust in swirling clouds, obscuring their vision. Dipak led the way, his eyes narrowed as he studied the path ahead, knowing the city’s defenses would not be easy to overcome. Raven waited at his side. Kam kept a few paces behind, scanning the jagged terrain. Gytha was as still as ever, a shadow among shadows, while Indra moved fluidly beside them, his presence a calming force.
They were close now, near the outskirts of Weylhall, where the coastal road curved around jagged cliffs. The warehouse was still their target, but they knew they had to clear the city’s defenses first. Dipak’s thoughts were sharp as he considered the obstacles ahead. Weylhall wasn’t a military stronghold, but its defenses were well-placed among the natural formations that hemmed it in—watchtowers dotted the ridges, and a series of patrols kept constant vigil over the roads leading into the town. The warehouse, hidden in plain sight, would be hard to reach.
Their first challenge came quickly.
“Guards ahead,” Kam whispered, pointing to the right. A patrol, dressed in the uniforms of the Guntai, was making its way up a narrow path that led directly to one of the larger gates. The guards were armed with rifles, their eyes scanning the hills for movement.
“We need to draw them away,” Dipak muttered, his eyes scanning the terrain.
Gytha’s lips curled into a predatory grin. She moved before Dipak could even finish the thought, her clawed feet silent against the dirt as she slipped into position. A low, guttural sound echoed through the hills—a series of clicking and scraping noises as she signaled Angerona to position herself.
The guards paused, raising their rifles and looked around, trying to see where the sounds were coming from, but the sounds echoed between the rocks creating the illusion that they were surrounded.
Kam’s voice was quiet but steady. “I’ll handle the distraction. You all get ready to move.”
Without another word, Kam raised his hands, and the wind began to pick up. It howled violently, swirling and kicking debris into the air. The sound was deafening, like a massive storm tearing through the land. The guards immediately took notice, shouting orders, their rifles scanning the hilltops in confusion. They didn’t know where the wind was coming from, but they knew danger was near.
They were not going to chase random sounds or unknowns into the hills. Perhaps they had faced these fey tactics before. Instead, the circled up and closed into a tight group. Kam called another howling wind that screamed through the broken rocks beside the road. They swung their rifles and scanned the area.
The moment the guards' focus shifted, Dipak nodded sharply to the group. Indra, already preparing for action, crouched low. His body rippled, and the air shimmered as his form began to transform into a great column of water. With a powerful surge, he shot forward, his body sliding through the rocks and tumbling through the group of guards like an unstoppable tide. The water knocked them off balance, leaving them vulnerable.
“Now!” Dipak barked, his voice cutting through the wind.
Gytha charged into the fray, her movements impossibly fast. Her claws struck the stone with a sharp screech, sending dust and debris flying as she struck down one guard after another. Her eyes were cold, focused solely on the task. Angerona moved alongside her, spitting venom at any who tried to retaliate, her small but swift movements taking down foes with precision.
Dipak, his heart pounding with adrenaline, stepped into the chaos with a commanding presence. His hand gripped the hilt of the Emberblade, its blade flickering with flame-like sparks that crackled in the air. With a fluid motion, he unsheathed it, the fire within the blade flaring to life as it hummed with the power of both wind and flame.
Dipak moved with the grace of a dancer, the blade a blur of light and heat. Each strike was an explosion of power—wind and fire converging in a single, controlled fury. The guards were knocked back, disoriented and struggling to regain their footing. The Emberblade cut through them, its flames licking the air and igniting anything it touched. Dipak’s speed and agility were unmatched as he danced through the chaos, his every movement precise, his attacks landing with deadly accuracy.
With each swing, the air grew hotter, the wind sharper, until the battlefield was filled with a storm of flame and force. The guards faltered, overwhelmed by the relentless power of Dipak’s assault. With a final slash, the Emberblade cleaved through the air, sending guards sprawling, their armor scorched and their will broken.
Dipak stood amidst the ruins, his breath steady but his pulse still racing. The guards gathered themselves, regrouping into a tight circle around him. Raven stepped up to Dipak's side and he spun his body so that they stood with their backs facing each other. He would protect Raven's wings, like he always did. The weave frayed and his mind slipped. Pain crushed up his neck and marched into the back of his skull.
Loosing himself to a battle in another life time, Dipak raised his sword and called upon Emberblade's magic. The sword screamed and shot fire out in an arc, cutting down the few guards that stood before him and the imagined enemies in his mind. He dropped to one knee and lowered his blade.
"Life Tree," Dipak murmured.
Dipak pressed the tips of his fingers to his fore head, the center of his chest and then kissed them.
"Mind, body and soul, I am yours."
Raven shook himself. He'd known these words.
"Of the earth, my flesh."
Within Dipak's mind, the ground trembled and pulled away so that the Life Tree was standing alone in a hollow.
"Of the waters, my blood."
The stream sparkled pink and orange, forgetting its way it rushed back up the hill and formed a small pool where the spring had previously been. As though gravity no longer mattered, the waters continued to run up over the stones so that it could fill the hollow.
"Of the wind, my breath."
Wind shook the trees and brightly colored leaves fell down around them. Swirls of color danced around the tree and slowly took on strange forms that Raven knew were living things. Something else had woken in this place. It wasn't the leaves, but the unseen things that carried them.
"Of the fire, my soul."
The sky burst into brilliance as the sun finally rose over the horizon. Its golden light graced everything that had remembered it could be. There was little shadow here now, only those that stretched out behind the trees, cast by the newly born light.
"I am yours. Now, always and forever."
The Emberblade flickered with embers as the flames slowly dimmed, and the air around him settled. The path was clear. Panting, the team regrouped quickly around Dipak, Their eyes scanning the area for any further threats and their bodies shielding him.
"The weave unravels," Gytha whispered as she knelt down next to Dipak. She raked her claws along his neck, breaking the skin and allowing black oil to ooze out. Dipak looked up at her and blinked hard, the threads of the past pulling away.
“We need to move,” Dipak said, his voice low but urgent. “They’ll be calling reinforcements soon.”
They dashed through the broken lines of guards, making their way toward the warehouse in the distance. As they neared, another challenge arose.
“Patrol boats,” Raven warned, his gaze on the horizon. The boats, armed with heavy guns, cruised the shoreline, their spotlights cutting through the darkness. A beam fell over their path, illuminating the jagged cliffs.
“Get low,” Dipak ordered. “We need to stay out of sight.”
The group scrambled, ducking into the shadows of the cliffs and the craggy outcroppings that lined the coast. The boats moved slowly, but the spotlights were thorough, scanning the terrain for movement. Dipak’s pulse quickened as he watched the boats sweep across the water. They couldn’t afford to be seen—not now.
Kam whispered, “I can help with that.”
With a motion of his hands, Kam summoned the winds again, but this time it was different. He focused his energy on a thick fog that began to roll in, heavy and opaque. The air thickened, and the boats’ spotlights were rendered useless as the fog swallowed the coast.
“Perfect,” Dipak murmured, moving quickly through the cover of mist. With each step, they neared the warehouse, the structure now visible ahead, just beyond the reach of the fog.
Gytha reached the door first. Without hesitation, she tore it open with a deafening screech. Inside, rows of crates were stacked high, each one packed with valuable supplies. Kam’s wind kicked up again, scattering boxes across the floor. Indra surged forward, flooding the room with a sudden burst of water that drenched the supplies.
They were making a mess—just as they were supposed to. But the sound of alarms ringing out through the city’s watchtowers quickly reminded them of the ticking clock.
“We’re done here,” Dipak said, his voice firm. “Let’s move.”
The group turned, but the way out wasn’t as easy as it had been. Guards were rushing in from every direction, their guns raised, their shouts echoing through the chaos. Dipak’s eyes hardened as he glanced around, sizing up their path of escape.
Gytha hurled a large piece of debris at a group of incoming guards, knocking them aside with force.
“This way!” she growled.
The group took off through the winding paths, dipping and dodging between the craggy cliffs. The sound of distant gunfire cracked against the air, mingling with the screech of sirens. They moved faster now, slipping deeper into the labyrinth of Weylhall’s rocky outcroppings, where they could lose their pursuers.
The chaos of the attack faded behind them as they left Weylhall’s defenses crumbling in their wake. The warehouse had been destroyed, and their message had been sent. Now, they had to vanish into the landscape before anyone could catch them.
As Dipak and Raven raced through the jagged landscape, an unexpected wave of energy rippled through the air. It was subtle at first—a soft hum, a faint warmth—but it quickly swelled into a force that filled their senses, vibrating through their very bones. Dipak staggered, his hand reaching out to steady himself against the rocks, his eyes widening as he recognized the unmistakable power: a Lesser Tree had awakened.
Raven stumbled to a halt beside him, his gaze snapping toward the horizon. “Do you feel that?” he whispered, his voice edged with both awe and concern. The energy from a Lesser Tree was unlike anything else, a raw surge of life force and magic, wild and ancient.
Dipak nodded, his face set in a grim expression.
