Page 28

A Night in the Ruins

T he further we walked, the quieter the whispers became.

And somehow, without succumbing to the temptations of the shadow, we found ourselves stepping into a clearing at last. Above, the sky was painted in golds and pinks, the colors of sunset filling me with a sense of hope after the long dark of the woods.

However, the ruins in front of us were unlike anything I expected, sending a cold shiver down my spine.

Towering stone structures, crumbling and overgrown with vines, stretched towards the sky. Their weathered surfaces were etched with intricate symbols I couldn’t decipher. As we approached, I noticed Sky’s ears twitching, his blue eyes darting warily from shadow to shadow.

“Stay close,” he growled, his tail bristling. “This place reeks of an old magic that is no longer practiced in Cindersea.”

I nodded, suddenly aware of the eerie silence that had fallen over the clearing.

No birds chirped, no insects buzzed. It was as if the ruins themselves were holding their breath.

But Sky was right. Even with my low-level magical senses, I could feel the entire place pulsing with power.

However, it was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.

It wasn’t a creature or a life force. There was no name for it, but it truly felt ancient and strange.

We picked our way carefully through the fallen debris, our footsteps echoing unnaturally in the stillness.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched, unseen eyes following our every move.

The low fog that clung to the earth didn’t help things either.

More than once my boot caught a stray rock, nearly toppling me in the process.

Rhia, thankfully, was always there to save me.

Suddenly, Sky’s hand shot out, gripping my arm tightly. “Don’t move,” he hissed, his eyes fixed on a point just ahead of us. I froze, heart pounding. Rhia tensed beside me, her fists clenching as she shifted into a fighting stance.

At first, I saw nothing but more crumbling stone and mist. Then, a flicker of movement caught my eye.

Something was emerging from the shadows between two massive pillars.

It was tall and slender, with limbs that seemed far too long for its body.

As it glided forward, I realized with a start that its feet weren’t touching the ground.

The creature’s face was hidden beneath a hood, but I could feel its gaze upon us. It raised a spindly arm, pointing directly at Sky.

“Druid,” it spoke, its voice a hissing whisper that somehow carried clearly across the clearing. “You do not belong here.”

Sky’s grip on my arm tightened. “Neither do you, Guardian.”

His words hung in the air, tense and heavy. The creature… the Guardian, tilted its head, the motion unnaturally fluid.

“You know of us,” it said, its voice like dry leaves rustling. “How... unexpected.”

I glanced at Sky, questions burning on my tongue, but his fierce expression silenced me. His blue eyes never left the Guardian as he slowly released my arm, shifting into a defensive stance.

“I know enough,” Sky growled. “Enough to know you’re not supposed to be here either. This isn’t your realm.”

The Guardian drifted closer, wisps of mist curling around its ethereal form. “Time... blurs. Boundaries... shift. We remain.”

Rhia stepped forward, her muscular frame taut with readiness. “What do you want?” she demanded, her low voice rumbling with barely contained aggression.

“Nothing you can give,” the Guardian replied, a tone of melancholy in its voice. “More keep coming… the realm of man expands… and soon all will fade into nothing unless they are stopped.”

It was Kai’s turn to speak. “Unless who is stopped?” he asked, his voice soft and friendly as always.

The Guardian’s gaze zeroed in on Kai. “The summoners…”

But before anyone could respond, a sudden rush of wind swept through the ruins.

The Guardian seemed caught up by it, the ethereal darkness of its body spinning and writhing until, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

Despite our flowing hair and cloaks, the mist that clung to the ground remained undisturbed.

“What the fuck was that?!” Kuro barked.

“A guardian of this world,” Sky replied, releasing his defensive stance. “They are ancient and powerful. And nearly extinct.”

The tension in the air slowly dissipated, but unease still gripped my heart. I turned to Sky, my mind reeling with questions. Whatever that thing was, it was a far cry from the kobolds I was used to dealing with.

“How do you know about these Guardians?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Sky’s ears twitched, his blue eyes scanning the ruins before meeting mine. “They were mentioned briefly during my druid training,” he said, his voice low. “I was told that they’re terribly dangerous and to kill them on sight. However… experience has taught me otherwise.”

“You’ve seen one before?”

“Only once,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “And it didn’t end well.”

Kai stepped forward, his brown eyes filled with concern. “Do you know what it meant by ‘summoners’? Or why it’s here at all?”

Sky’s tail lashed in agitation. “I’m not sure,” he growled. “But like I said, this place is full of ancient magic. The ruins here are probably part of the world it used to protect. Now it’s just wandering… lost for eternity until it fades away.”

Rhia, who had been silently observing the ruins, suddenly spoke. “We should move on. This place isn’t safe. We need to find shelter for the night.”

I nodded in agreement but couldn’t shake the feeling that we were missing something important. The Guardian’s words echoed in my mind… The summoners… What did it mean by that?

As we carefully made our way out of the clearing, I noticed Sky’s eyes darting back and forth, his ears twitching at every sound. His usual gruff demeanor seemed amplified, tension radiating from every muscle.

“Sky,” I whispered, moving closer to him. “What aren’t you telling us?”

He glanced at me, his sharp eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Was it fear? Regret? Before he could answer, Kuro’s voice rang out.

“Hey! Look at this!”

We all turned to see Kuro pointing at one of the ruins whose four walls were still standing. In fact, there was even an arched doorway leading inside. There was no roof, the tree growing up from the center of the building having torn it away long ago .

“We could stay here for the night,” he said, a big grin on his face. “There’s only one way in so nothing can sneak up on us!”

“And only one way out,” Sky replied with a huff. He glanced up at the sky, the last bits of gold disappearing as the twilight settled in. “I don’t think we have much choice though. I don’t want to be out in the open after dark.”

As we cautiously approached the ruined structure, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled over me since our encounter with the Guardian. The stone walls loomed before us, their weathered surfaces etched with more of those strange symbols we’d seen earlier.

“Wait,” Sky said, holding up a hand as we neared the entrance. He crouched down, examining the threshold carefully. His fingers traced over the worn stone, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“What is it?” I asked, peering over his shoulder.

“There’s a ward here,” he murmured, his ears twitching. “Old, but still active. It’s... protective, I think. Not harmful.”

Rhia crossed her arms, her dark eyes narrowed. “Can we trust it?”

Sky stood, brushing off his hands. “It’s not like we have much choice. But yes, I believe we can trust it. It’s meant to keep out malevolent forces, not travelers seeking shelter.”

With a nod from Sky, we cautiously stepped over the threshold.

There was no sudden explosion, so I figured we were welcome.

The interior was surprisingly intact, with smooth stone floors and walls that rose high above us.

The massive tree at the center had somehow grown without disturbing the structure, its roots weaving seamlessly into the stonework in an intricate web that followed the sharp angles of the stone.

Kai and Mira immediately set about gathering fallen branches for a fire, while Rhia took up a position near the entrance, ever vigilant. Kuro, meanwhile, couldn’t resist exploring every nook and cranny of our temporary shelter.

“Hey, check this out!” he called, pointing to a section of wall partially hidden behind the tree’s trunk.

As we gathered around, I saw what had caught his attention - a series of intricate carvings, more detailed and better preserved than anything we’d seen outside thanks to the shelter of the tree.

The images depicted figures that looked almost human, but with elongated limbs and features that seemed to shift and blur the longer I stared at them. They were arranged in a circle around a central figure - taller than the rest, with what looked like tendrils of energy radiating from its body .

“These must be the Guardians,” Kai said softly, his fingers hovering just above the carvings. “And this one in the middle... could it be their leader?”

Sky’s ears flattened against his head as he studied the images. “Perhaps. Or maybe it’s one of the gods themselves.”

I squinted at the central figure, trying to make out more details. But the more I looked, the more my eyes seemed to slide away, unable to focus. A dull ache began to throb behind my temples. It was like the image itself didn’t want to be perceived.

“Let’s not stare at it too long,” Mira said, turning away. “It seems strange.”

I blinked and looked away from the carvings, rubbing my temples. Mira was right - there was something unsettling about staring at those images for too long.

“We should rest,” Sky said gruffly, moving away from the wall. “I’ll take the first watch.”