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She soared off a ledge, and her stomach lurched as she landed on her buttocks at the bottom.

Heart hammering, she grunted and scrambled to her feet.

High arched ceilings of rock surrounded her.

Shafts of light slipped in through the tree roots acting as a ceiling to this strange, magical grotto.

Moss and lichen were dotted here and there, and the smooth rock walls were worn by water trickling from the ground above.

Stalagmites hung from the curved rocks intertwined in the ceiling.

Barnacles and small fish lived in the body of water in the centre of the grotto, directly underneath the trunk of the World Tree. Silt stirred underfoot, muddying the water, and dead leaves and debris had worked its way underground, either from above or through the tunnel she’d flown through.

Water droplets pattered onto the surface from the stalagmites, and crumbles of rocks dislodged underfoot as she wandered the length of the grotto. The strong scent of mildew filled her nose.

Using the strands of golden light filtering in from above, she made her way across the loose stones. Ahead of her, she spotted one stone dazzling even in the reduced light. It hovered, floating alongside dust particles dancing in the golden stream of sunlight.

A guttural roar rumbled from the shadows.

She jolted, scanning her surroundings, every inch of her body urging her to get out.

Something pawed the ground, scraping the stones, dried leaves, and twigs.

Without hesitation, she conjured her golden whip, the twirling embroidery-like magic dancing around her wrist, singeing the skin beneath.

Ignoring the sting, she held her arm out in a defensive position. Aside from her panting, silence engulfed her. Like a predator hunting its prey. Adelina refused to be anything’s prey.

The beast lunged from the darkness. Her back was slammed into the ground before she could blink, the creature pinning her beneath its mighty paws.

She would’ve thought it a wild dog or wolf if it wasn’t for the festering darkness swirling in its eyes.

Whatever animal this was, it wasn’t natural.

Her assessment was stifled by a blaze of pain firing up her arm as sharp claws dragged through her flesh. She screamed.

Pushing through the blinding pain, she covered her face with her limbs like a blockade, pushing back against the snapping jaws.

The golden whip drove the beast partially off her, sparks of fire slashing into its snout and cheeks.

It growled, tossing its head from side to side.

Using it to her advantage, she shoved hard, tossing the weight off her.

Within a heartbeat, she was on her feet, prowling towards the creature.

Where had it come from? Who’d conjured this monstrosity?

She didn’t have time to consider the particulars.

Instead, she took in every detail of the large hound, scanning it for weak spots.

Its towering body was covered in thick black fur, draped over hard, defined muscles.

That, combined with two-inch claws that could possibly disembowel her and the sharp canines, made it a worthy—and challenging—opponent.

Shaking out her limbs, she straightened her spine, keeping one foot in front of the other as she circled the beast, maintaining a healthy distance from its paws and jaws.

She couldn’t afford to be trapped underneath it again; she wouldn’t survive it a second time.

With a quick glance at her magic, she supposed now was as good a time as any to put its velocity to the test. She uncurled it like a lasso.

It hit the stony ground with a sharp thud, sparks of fire erupting from it.

The beast growled in response as it dived out of the way.

Sucking in a breath, she went on the offensive, luring the creature towards her as she walked backwards to the grotto wall. It curled back its lips, baring its canines.

She grinned, baring her own teeth, and lashed out her magic. The whip struck true. Black blood sprayed from the neck as the severed head hit the floor. Blinking rapidly, she could do nothing but watch as the animal—and its blood—vanished. Vanished.

She swore. “A ward. You have got to be kidding me.”

Despite the creature’s disappearance, the injury to her arm remained.

Tearing a strip of cloth from her shirt, she wrapped it tightly around the wound, gritting her teeth through the pain.

She’d need to assess it properly to determine whether it needed stitches, but first, the stone. She wasn’t going to leave empty-handed.

Taking careful steps towards the hovering stone, she reached for it. She wrapped her fingers around it, and a bolt of warmth shot through her hand, up her arm, and overwhelmed her body.

Dropping to her knees, she cradled the stone against her chest, waiting for the paralysing heat to subside. She clamped her eyes shut, forcing herself to breathe deeply through the uncomfortable pain. Spots swarmed her vision, and her limbs grew limp and weak.

A few moments later, she opened her eyes.

She frowned. When did she lie down? She didn’t remember.

Glancing at her palms, she uncurled her fingers, revealing the glistening stone within her grasp.

There it was. The Alatyr. She was one step closer to obtaining the Sword of Light.

One step separated her from reaching the end of her mission.

‘ Cross the rocky terrain of the Svatken Peninsula and find the deepest cave.’

No matter her determination, she couldn’t move.

It wouldn’t hurt to sleep for a little while, would it?

The mystical grotto would protect her from whipping winds and the threatening storm outside.

She did need to sleep. As if the rocks underneath turned into a feather blanket, her body relaxed, and she closed her eyes.

∞∞ ∞

She stirred sometime later when the sunlight faded from the grotto.

She’d need to find her way back to ground level soon if she didn’t want to do it blind.

Not only that, but pain radiated through her arm, and she needed to assess the injury.

Clean it out and cauterise it if necessary.

Scrambling to her feet, her vision tilted on its axis.

She gripped the rocky wall for support, then headed for the tunnel.

At least, if she crawled up it, she wouldn’t worry about falling to the ground on the threat of fainting.

Grinding her teeth, she focused on the path ahead, forcing herself to remain conscious, no matter how much the pulsing, magical stone in her grasp threatened to throw her back under. She didn’t understand the control it held over here but hoped it would wear off.

With her pulse pounding, she edged into the tunnel.

On her hands and knees, she climbed towards the tree roots.

They opened for her like a pair of curtains.

Clambering out, she rose, feet on the ground above.

She spotted her cloak—she’d dropped it earlier when the roots had thrown her underground—and grabbed it.

The leaf was a little crumpled and the apricots flattened, but they were edible.

Placing the Alatyr stone inside her pocket, she made the descent to the beach.

Focusing all her energy on the last part of her mission—making it to the Svatken Peninsula—she charged ahead.

It seemed, with the stone out of her direct hand contact, it held less control over her consciousness, so using it to her advantage, she could centre on her objective.

I can do this. I’m one step away from getting my hands on the Sword of Light. From there, I can save Damir, my family, and everyone else threatened by Filip. I’ll put a stop to him, and he won’t threaten anyone else ever again.

She homed in on her thoughts of encouragement and threw herself into the boat, rowing with as much determination as she could muster.

The image of Damir’s face appeared in front of her like a vision.

She smiled, overcome by a warmth spreading through her entire body—as if he were right there with her.

“I’m coming,” she said aloud.

∞∞∞

Adelina’s injury wasn’t to the bone, to her relief.

Before climbing back into the boat, she’d cleaned the wound with water from her flask, wrung out her makeshift bandages to clean it as much as she could, then tied it awkwardly with one hand.

She prayed she would not be hindered by infection.

When she finally reached the north-eastern shoreline of Toichrist, Ironpine awaited her.

Body aching from the strenuous trip, she all but collapsed into his lowered palm.

With a warm smile, he lifted her into the air.

“Look up,” he said. “You’ll have a wonderful view of the sunset from here. ”

Peering over the tip of his curved thumb, she rubbed her tired eyes.

Moments later, they widened. Deep orange on the horizon cast a glow over the rippling ocean.

Further into the sky, purple transitioned into midnight blue, and beyond, stars twinkled.

With no light pollution from burning torches or nearby villages, the stars were bright and vibrant, like diamonds stitched into fabric.

“Beautiful.” She swallowed a yawn.

He chuckled. “Sleep, little one. I will take you to my clan in Aldercrown. Your horse and belongings are safe—you can ride tomorrow.”

Knowing she’d be no use when overcome with exhaustion, she nodded and curled into a ball in the palm of his hand. The deep sound of his heavy footsteps lulled her to sleep.

∞∞∞

The sound of songbirds flittered through the trees and stirred Adelina from her slumber. She grumbled, stretched, and gazed at her dark surroundings.

“What the…” She frowned.

Sunlight streamed through the hole in the…what was it? A trunk?

“Ironpine?” she called. “Did I sleep…inside you?”

“Warm in there, isn’t it?” His deep chuckle vibrated the trunk in which she rested.

“Um, I guess so.” She shrugged, although knowing he wouldn’t see it. “Can you get me out, please? ”

She peered through the hole, spotting his palm upright in front of her. Hopping out, she landed in his hand, then swirled to face him. “Thank you.”

“Ready for some breakfast?” He wiggled his brows.

“Sure,” she said. “Although, what do you eat? You’re a tree. No offence.”

“None taken,” he said. “We don’t need to eat, but you, on the other hand, do.”

Her stomach rumbled. She’d snacked on her apricots in the middle of the night, but that wasn’t a substantial meal.

Placing her on the ground, Ironpine gestured towards a crooked firepit—a goofy grin tugging at the corner of his bark lips.

“You made a fire?” A warmth burst through her chest. This person—if one could call a Treefolk such a thing—had accommodated her: a human.

“Such a task is challenging when I have large fingers.” He lifted his hand, each digit bulky and covered with moss. “I knocked it over at least a dozen times, and I swore more than I wish to reveal, but the fire cooked some meat for you. Humans eat meat, right?”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

Eagerly, she hopped towards the makeshift skewers of meat. She didn’t comment on the fact the whole rabbit was impaled on the branch, with half of its skin attached.

Nearby was a pool of standing water. Lily pads floated on the pond’s surface, reeds and long grasses poked out the top, and a mixture of dandelions, daisies, and clover blooms grew along the edge.

The muddy bank was strewn with rocks and pebbles, broken branches lay half in the water next to floating leaves, and frogs leaping into the shallows.

She smiled, each of her muscles relaxing as a wave of calm washed through her. Her gaze rested on the birds bathing and preening, and the rustle of leaves on the nearby trees removed any sense of urgency she should’ve possessed.

“It’s peaceful, isn’t it?” Ironpine said, breaking her from her trance.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Very. I can understand why you would want to protect the forest as much as yourselves from harm. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to harm this place.”

“Unfortunately, that did happen, as you know.” He sighed. “We are protected now, though, and as long as you stay out of Filip’s clutches, it’ll remain so.”

She nodded sharply. Although the scent of wild mint and sweet clover encouraged her to stay at the pond’s edge forever, she shifted her attention back to her mission.

“I’ll eat, then I must be on my way. I have everything I need to forge the Sword of Light.” She grasped the roasted rabbit, then tore a leg from the body. She needed to line her stomach before moving on.

“You will find your horse and belongings in the glade five minutes from here.” He pointed to a fork between the trees.

“But before you go, there is something you should always remember. Keep these words close to your heart, for when times get dark, and you lose your way. You are not a slave, Adelina. You are not, and never will be, enslaved to Filip. Everything you are, your power, is opposite of everything he is. Where your magic is natural and wondrous, his is cruel and unpredictable. Violent at times. Never forget those differences. I must go now, little one. You will always have a friend in me.”

A bubble of emotion welled inside her, threatening to leak tears from her eyes. Indeed, she tucked his words somewhere safe and secure inside her. For when she needed them. “Thank you for your kindness, Ironpine. I’ll see you again soon.”

He bowed as graciously as a solid tree could before thundering through the forest, the canopy of leaves around his head blending into the sea of trees around him.