Embers to Flames (Fates Entwined #1)

Chapter Thirty-Two

We push deeper into the mountain; the air thickens with a sweltering heat that clings to every breath. A stifling humidity envelops us, as if the moisture is being wrung from the volcanic earth, and the warmth radiates from the stone walls, promising a fiery heart awaiting further within.

Alyndra keeps her eyes forward, scanning for any signs of magic or traps. “Remember, we are not just fighting a tyrant,” she whispers, “Ruvyn has mastered his enchantment powers over the years, so there is no telling what else he has in store for intruders. ”

Intruders… aka, us.

Suddenly, Theo pulls me back by my arm just as I am about to step forward. My heart leaps into my throat when I see why. A thin wire stretched across the path at ankle height.

“Traps,” he says simply, pointing at it before looking around warily.

Lenna crouches down to inspect it closer. “Simple, but deadly,” she assesses with a grimace before carefully disabling it with deft fingers. “Stay close and watch your steps.”

Her warning thickens the tension that already clings to us as palpable as the heat. We proceed cautiously, each of us hyper-aware of the ground before us.

With each step, our feet crunch upon a mosaic of obsidian and scoria, remnants of the mountain’s fiery outbursts. Our torchlights flicker over sharp shards of volcanic glass, glinting ominously and ready to strike at any misstep. Sulfur crystals jut from the ground like jagged spires, their yellow hues are glaring against the darkness and release a choking miasma that threatens to overwhelm us.

The path ahead is unstable, with uneven terrain and sudden drops lurking in the shadows. We tread carefully, always on the lookout for hidden crevices waiting to swallow us whole. Hot vents burst forth from the ground, sending steam and scorching air into our faces as a reminder of the molten death just beneath the surface.

In some places, the ground beneath our feet feels alive as warm, geothermal tiles shift and move slightly, as if the mountain itself breathes and stirs in its slumber. This volatile landscape serves as a constant reminder of Ruvyn’s wrath, ever ready to unleash its fury upon those who dare to venture too close.

A sudden gust of hot wind rushes past us, carrying with it a mix of ash and a pungent smell of burnt minerals. The corridor ahead widens into a cavernous chamber, its vastness partially obscured by the thick haze hanging stagnant in the air. Flickering torches line the walls, casting long shadows that sway with each tremor of the earth.

The mountain suddenly begins to tremble and from the walls emerge beings carved from the very heart of the volcano. Pyrognites—stone warriors infused with the essence of fire and ash. Their bodies are composed of basalt and pumice, with veins of glowing magma coursing through them, giving life to their otherwise stoic forms.

Theo grips my hand tighter, as if his touch could shield me from the impending danger. His eyes keep darting between the Pyrognites and our small group, calculating our odds in a fight. “Stay together,” he decrees harshly, but his voice is barely audible over the increasing rumble of the mountain.

I can feel the heat emanating from these living statues, the air around us vibrating with the raw energy of the earth’s core. The Pyrognites begin to move in unison towards us, their movements eerily synchronized, each step causing a small tremor beneath our feet.

Alyndra steps forward, her hands glowing with a soft blue light as she prepares to cast a spell. “I’ll try to hold them off,” she declares, conviction set in her sharp features. But Lenna shakes her head quickly, placing a restraining hand on Alyndra’s shoulder. “No… we will hold them off.,” She says as she steps forward with an agility and confidence that belies the danger we face. “Together.”

Suddenly, one of the Pyrognites raises an arm, and from its palm emerges a gout of fire aimed directly at us. Before we can react, Alyndra’s spell bursts forth—a shield of shimmering energy that cloaks us just in time to deflect the fiery assault.

“Stay close!” Theo yells over the roar of fire and stone. We huddle behind Alyndra’s magical shield, watching as sparks and embers cascade around us like rain.

The battle ebbs and flows with terrifying intensity. Lenna darts forward, her movements quick and precise, as she engages another Pyrognite. Her arrows sing through the air, revealing the Pyrognites’ weakest points. They strike at joints and crevices within their stoney flesh, causing them to crumble to the ground in fiery smolders.

Alyndra continues to weave her spells, each incantation bringing forth bolts of ice and gusts of wind that clash with the fiery spirits of our foes—their heat against our chill creating steam that momentarily obscures our vision.

The path ahead narrows, leading to a small bridge that hovers over a vast expanse of molten rock. Eulee stands triumphantly at the end of it, having finally found the way out. She can’t contain her excitement and lets out a howl into the fiery abyss below.

Her call reverberates through the cavern, mingling with the sizzle of magma below and crackle of flame above, and for a moment, everything seems suspended in the echo of her voice. Our spirits lift momentarily, a rush of hope amid the peril, but it’s short-lived. The Pyrognites, undeterred by our brief victory, regroup with renewed ferocity and block our path to the bridge.

I glance at Theo, his face set with grim purpose as he summons a sword. It manifests in his hand, a massive, gleaming silver blade with elven runes that pulse with power. He unfurls his massive wings, covering me from the danger of the Pyrognites.

“Use your gift. Blast them into sand!” His voice radiates in my mind.

Theo engages the Pyrognites with a flurry of strikes in close combat, I close my eyes, focusing on the energy brewing within me. I breathe in deeply, the hot, sulfuric air filling my lungs as I prepare myself mentally. The heat from the molten rock below seems to seep into my very bones, fueling the arcane energies that lie within me. My heart beats a rhythmic dance of anticipation and dread.

Opening my eyes, I see Theo battling furiously against the swarm of Pyrognites. Each swing of his blade sends sparks flying, his wings creating gusts of wind that fan the flames around us. But there are too many of them, their fiery forms regenerating almost as quickly as he can strike them down.

“Rosanhi!” Theo shouts over the clamor, his eyes locking with mine, imparting courage. “Now!”

With a steady exhale, I extend my arms forward, palms facing out towards the fiery horde. The cavern around us pulses with energy, the magma bubbles fiercely as if in response to the power I invoke. A surge of energy ripples through the air, a visible shockwave emanating from me towards the Pyrognites. It strikes them with the force of a tempest, their fiery stone bodies shimmering violently before beginning to crack and splinter. One by one, they explode into showers of dust, ember, and ash. Each detonation is a small victory punctuating the air with sizzling pops.

The bridge ahead becomes clearer with each fallen Pyrognite, their numbers dwindling rapidly under the might of my arcane detonation. Theo turns to look at me, his eyes wide with awe and something akin to fear—fear for what this power might mean for both our futures.

I feel it then—the drain on my energy—as if each use of this power chips away at my very life force. A dizziness sweeps over me, and I stagger slightly, Theo’s arms quickly steadying me. He lowers his wings and looks at me with awe and relief. His gaze is full of something deeper, something that sends a warmth rushing through me that has nothing to do with the surrounding inferno .

“We should move. Now,” Lenna urges, her voice cutting through the momentary calm. She’s right; the path is clear, but our victory might be short-lived if we don’t escape soon.

We hurry over the bridge Eulee found, each step echoing over the crackling fires below us. The heat is almost unbearable, an imminent reminder that we are walking over a river of certain death should the overpass crumble beneath us.

“Theo,” I start, hesitating as I search for the words amidst my tumultuous thoughts. “If we get through this...”

He places a finger over my lips gently. “Let’s focus on when we get through this. Not if. We will have time for everything else later,” he insists, his voice tender yet tinged with urgency.

Nodding silently, I turn away from the scene behind us and focus on what lies ahead. At last, we reach the far side of the bridge just as another violent shake threatens to sever it from its moorings. We scramble onto solid ground, lungs heaving with exertion and relief. Behind us, with a loud crack followed by an ominous rumbling, the bridge collapses into the fiery abyss below. Dust and ash fill the air as if to mark the end of our perilous journey across.

Alyndra’s voice echoes through the cavernous room, pulling our attention away from our conversation. I lift my eyes and see a dark tunnel ahead, walls lined with twisting vines and mysterious symbols etched into the stone. “Is that where we’re supposed to go?” I ask, squinting into the darkness.

“The Tunnel of Whispers.” Alyndra’s voice is soft .

Lenna steps beside me, her bow now slung over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the eerie entrance. “Whispers don’t sound nearly as dangerous as Pyrognites,” she says flippantly, trying to lighten the mood, but her attempt falls flat in the oppressive atmosphere that clings to the tunnel’s mouth.

We move together into the tunnel, as the suffocating darkness surrounds us. The air grows cooler, a divergence to the scorching heat we had just endured. With each step, an undertone seems to grow around us—a cacophony of soft voices.

The whispers intensify, like leaves rustling in a storm, each word intertwining with another, creating an intricate tapestry of sound that buzzes around us. It’s disorienting—the way the voices seem to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. I clutch Theo’s hand tighter, finding some comfort in his firm grip.

The buzz of whispers begin to take shape into discernible sentences. The messages are cryptic, phrases of love lost, and battles fought, tales of betrayal intermixed with promises of redemption. They echo the very fears and hopes that lie buried within our hearts. I feel a chill as one particularly portentous whisper brushes against my ear, saying, “Beware the heart that harbors shadows.”

Theo glances at me, his expression unreadable. “Do you hear them too?” he asks quietly. I nod, trying to mask my unease .

“It’s like they know us,” I murmur, my voice barely audible, afraid to disrupt the ethereal voices. The deeper we venture into the tunnel, the more vivid and haunting they become. Each whisper seems to weave through the darkness, finding its way into my heart, tugging at buried emotions and secret fears. Theo squeezes my hand in reassurance but remains silent, his gaze fixed forward as if he can see something in the darkness I cannot.

The tunnel seems to stretch on endlessly before us. After what feels like hours, a pinprick of light appears ahead. We quicken our pace, the distant glow promising an end to this unnerving passage. As we draw nearer, the opening expands, and the whispers fade behind us until only our footfalls echo off the stone walls.

Shielding my eyes, I step out of the dark Tunnel of Whispers and into… dazzling and bright sunlight. Lush grass spreads before us, dotted with vibrant wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze. Birdsong trills from the shade of the surrounding trees. After the gloom of the tunnel, the meadow is shockingly verdant and alive. I spin around, expecting to see Theo’s face filled with excitement and confusion like mine. But he is not there. I quickly scan the area for Lenna, Alyndra, or Eulee. None of them are in sight.

There is no one.

I am alone.