Night had fallen some time ago, and the four companions had settled around a makeshift fire. It had now been thirteen days and thirteen nights that they had been walking relentlessly through plains, dense forests, ancient rivers, and forgotten territories of the mythical world. Fatigue was beginning to show on their faces, even if no one wanted to admit it.
Sakolomé stretched at length, then sat on a flat stone covered with moss:
— I think we're not far from that blasted cave anymore.
Salomé, tapping her foot impatiently, threw her arms towards the sky:
— Honestly... Why didn't we just fly straight there? We would've saved whole days! This expedition is pure masochism.
Bakuran, half slumped on a stump, added in a lazy tone:
— Yeah... Two seconds, snap, and we'd be there. Now, we're walking like lackeys, burning up in the day and freezing at night... that's no life.
The fire crackled softly, casting its dancing reflections on the surrounding trees. Silence settled for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, a hoarse, deep voice rose in the darkness:
— …The cave of Évoressence is located in the mythical region of the Quarlhon Mountains. A rugged chain whose peaks tear through the clouds...
They all slowly turned toward Kai, surprised: it was the first time he had spoken on his own since the expedition began.
He sat cross-legged, slightly apart, eyes half-closed. His voice carried a certain gravity.
— Over there, he continued, sylvan demons roam the mists… Creatures that live in the cracks of reality. Their perception is not linear. They sense mana, intentions, deep desires. And the cave... it is drowned in a purple mist. Its walls ooze with ancient mana, even older than certain lineages of gods.
He opened one eye, the fire casting severe shadows on his marked face:
— Do you think we can go to such a place rushing like aerial tourists? That would be the perfect call for cosmic predators.
Salomé frowned:
— What do you mean by that?
Kai did not answer immediately. He crossed his arms and let a silence hang, almost heavy, before replying slowly:
— This world, like many others, is full of profitable creatures. Things... conscious entities that don't need to hate you to stop you. They only need to feel your eagerness, your urgency, and they rise between you and your destination. Not from cruelty, but because your rushing creates a disturbance. And in this world, any disturbance calls for a toll.
He reopened his eyes, his piercing gaze shining through the flames:
— Walking slowly, leaving no traces in the mana flow, is the best way to stay out of their attention. Not out of weakness. Out of respect for ancient balances. Those who scream to reach the summit are the first to be devoured.
A silence heavier than before fell. Even Salomé, usually sarcastic, remained speechless. Sakolomé looked at Kai with new interest. He had not just spoken... He had revealed something. Knowledge. A fragment of his experience.
Sakolomé finally broke the silence:
— You know… you could've told us that earlier. It would've avoided a few arguments about shortcuts.
Kai barely shrugged:
— I was waiting to see if it was worth speaking.
Bakuran squinted:
— And now… is it worth it?
Kai didn't answer. He stared at the flames, his face closed again.
Salomé sighed and rubbed the back of her neck:
— Well… I guess I'll stop complaining about the walk. For tonight at least.
Sakolomé smiled softly and looked at the fire that crackled still, its flames dancing like thoughts.
Kai… might have had far more to offer than he let on.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast composed of dried fruits and filtered water, Sakolomé and his group resumed their march through a new area. The scenery changed drastically. The green plains had given way to a more hostile relief: the mountains rose abruptly, bristling with dark peaks like blades planted in the sky. Gaping caves opened everywhere along the rocky slopes, sometimes releasing a hot and muffled breath, as if something was breathing within.
As they advanced, Salomé knelt to observe the ground.
— Those are definitely lion tracks...
Bakuran frowned:
— Lions? In mountains so distant? We're not in a savanna...
But before any doubt could settle, Kai, who was walking a little behind as usual, stopped, eyes fixed on the ground.
— They're not lions.
Everyone turned to him, surprised by his calm but firm statement.
Salomé, intrigued:
— Huh? Then what are they?
Kai opened his mouth to answer, but a sharp scream tore the air before he could say anything. The sky, until then peaceful, was suddenly crossed by massive shadows.
— Gryphons! shouted Sakolomé, stepping back in one leap.
From all sides, emerging from crevices, peaks, and even inside caves, hybrid creatures swooped upon them: vast muscular lion bodies, powerful eagle wings, and intelligent, aggressive eyes.
The first struck brutally.
A gryphon lunged at Salomé, claws ready to rend, but she leapt aside, concentrating her mana in her palm to project a wave that pushed the attacker back without injuring it.
Bakuran, more instinctive, summoned a protective aura around himself, softening the blows before launching a series of swift gestures, drawing the gryphons to him to divert them from the others.
Kai, on his side, made no visible use of magic. He moved like a wildcat, dodging blows with ease, landing precise strikes on wings or paws to unbalance without causing fatal injuries.
Sakolomé acted as a central pivot. His sharpened perception anticipated the attacks, and his mana circulated perfectly. He created currents of air to disrupt the gryphons' flight and blocked their assaults with condensed energy fields, preventing any lethal contact.
The fight was quick, chaotic but controlled. No creature had yet been seriously wounded.
— Don't kill them! shouted Sakolomé, avoiding a bite. They're testing us… not trying to kill us!
Kai confirmed in a curt tone, repelling another assault:
— They defend their territory. They are not beasts. They understand restraint.
Their movements gradually coordinated. The attacks lost ferocity, and the gryphons began to retreat slightly, as if something was holding back their fury... until a human cry suddenly echoed from the heights.
— Halt!! shouted a hoarse and powerful voice.
Instantly, the gryphons stopped their attack, beating their wings to gain altitude or land cautiously around the group. A strange tension crystallized in the air.
From the top of a steep rock, a human figure appeared. He wore a cloak of feathers mixed with fur, and his right arm was adorned with a bracelet engraved with tribal motifs. His eyes shone with an almost animal amber gleam.
— Strangers… Who are you to walk in the lands of Quarlhon? Why do you disturb the sleep of the sacred wings?
All froze. The fight had ceased. Silence had fallen again. But one thing was certain:
They had just entered a protected territory, and those who lived there speak before striking.
The gryphon guardian, still perched on his rocky promontory, eyed the group sternly.
— What are you doing here? he declared gravely. This is a sacred territory, protected by the Gryphons.
Sakolomé stepped forward, ready to answer calmly, but Kai cut him off with a firm gesture of his arm, placing himself slightly before him.
— We seek no conflict, said Kai. We are merely passing through. We want nothing more than to cross.
The guardian did not answer at once. He turned his gaze to the gryphons resting around the group, studying their still trembling wings and looks. One of them, huge and with a white mane, slowly lowered its head, as if silently affirming Kai's words.
After a short silence, the guardian nodded, softening his expression.
— The gryphons seem to agree. As if you speak the truth.
Salomé, still slightly defensive, asked:
— So… can we pass?
The guardian nodded without another word. Around them, the gryphons slowly dispersed, their imposing presence retreating like a sea of shadows ebbing away. A clear passage opened before the group.
As they resumed their march, another figure emerged from the shadow behind the guardian. He was shirtless, simply dressed in a loincloth tied at the waist, with long black hair falling over his shoulders. His demeanor was humble but his presence imposed silence. He had that calm only beings deeply connected to nature possess.
He stopped beside the guardian, arms crossed, a small enigmatic smile on his lips.
— More visitors, it seems, he said in a calm tone.
The guardian nodded without looking away from the group:
— They seek no conflict. The gryphons sensed their sincerity.
The man also nodded… but his eyes, initially lightly laid on the group, suddenly fixed on Sakolomé, then slid toward Salomé and Bakuran.
His smile froze.
His pupils dilated slightly. He blinked slowly, as if an invisible revelation had just struck him. Then, in a sudden burst of voice:
— Wait!!
The group stopped immediately. Sakolomé frowned, Kai, already irritated by the interruption, turned sharply:
— What now?
But the man did not answer Kai. He now approached Sakolomé directly, gaze fixed on him as if recognizing a painting buried for centuries.
— May I know who you are? he asked in a curiously soft, almost respectful tone, extending his hand toward Sakolomé.
Sakolomé remained still for a moment, slightly wary. Salomé and Bakuran exchanged uncertain looks. To speak or not to speak? Was it a trap? Another form of test?
Then a familiar voice resonated inside him, in an intimate whisper:
Rivhiamë (internally): I have the strange impression that I know this man…