It was getting colder, 1:00 PM now and the sun wasn't as bright anymore, clouds were covering it, making everything look gray. The temperature dropped to around 15°C, Alucent could feel it. There was this hum in the air too, faint but there, like a Runestorm was coming or something.
"We have to follow it" Alucent said, looking at where the Clockstag went into the trees. His frock coat sleeve got torn earlier from all that fighting, it was hanging loose now and kind of annoying.
Raya's scar was still red on her face, looked like it hurt. Her cloak got snagged on something too during the chase, small tears everywhere "Into the Ironvine forests? That thing could be leading us to a trap" she said.
"Or it could be leading us to answers" Alucent was already walking toward the forest "You saw that Voidshard thing in its wound, something did that to it"
I really want to know what happened to that creature, it looked so... hurt. And why did it come to us specifically?
Tavin was holding a Glowrose he picked up somewhere, the light was nice, comforting maybe. His tunic was all muddy from running around "The whispers" he said quietly "they're calling from the forest, they want us to follow"
They found themselves tracing and following where the Clockstag had flee to.
The Ironvine forests were huge, really huge. Trees went up maybe 25 to 35 meters, easy, and the trunks were scarred with old runes, about a meter wide each. Some of the bark looked fresh though, like something scratched it recently with claws or something.
There were Glowroses on the ground everywhere, their light made little warm spots in the shadows. Pretty actually.
Songthrushes were singing from up in the trees, that steady 120 Hz sound they make. It was nice but also kind of creepy, like the forest was trying to warn them about something.
"Look" Raya pointed down "Runepaths"
Yeah, there were these copper trails on the ground, about half a meter wide, winding between the trees. They glowed a bit in the dim light, probably safe to walk on. But even these looked messed up, scratches in the metal like something crossed them recently.
"And there" Alucent saw them too "Steamcart tracks"
Brass rails, two meters apart, cutting through the forest. They were old but looked maintained, for the heavy cargo steamcarts that go to remote places. But these were messed up too, one rail bent, another showing fresh marks.
They started following the Clockstag's trail, staying on the Runepath mostly. Its hoofprints were easy to see in the soft dirt, each one had that weird clockwork pattern. And there were drops of black blood too, still smoking when they hit the ground.
That's really not normal, why would it bleed black? And why does it smoke?
"There" Tavin pointed ahead, whispering "I can see it"
The Clockstag was maybe fifty meters away, hiding behind one of those massive tree trunks. Its clockwork coat was catching the light, all those gears and copper pieces still ticking with each breath. It seemed like it was waiting for them, those clock-eyes watching.
"I need to track it properly" Alucent said, getting out his Runequill "If it runs again, we'll lose it"
He knelt beside one of the newer hoofprints, studying the pattern. Those borrowed memories kicked in again, giving him knowledge he didn't know he had. A tracking rune, different from that purification thing he did earlier. His hand moved almost by itself, etching the design in a small patch of dirt.
The rune was about 4 centimeters square, lines were precise. When he finished the last stroke, it started glowing green. He felt his Runeforce respond, flowing from inside him into the etching. Getting more used to this feeling now, but it was still a lot.
"That's good work" Raya said, sounding actually surprised "Thread 1 advancement, definitely. You're getting better at Runeling faster than most people"
Wow, she actually praised me again? That's... Nice, maybe she's not a spoilt brat afterall.
The tracking rune pulsed once, then settled into steady glow. Alucent could feel it now, like a connection to the Clockstag pulling at his brain like a compass. Even if it ran, he could follow.
They walked up slowly, hands visible, trying not to scare it. The Clockstag watched them come, its mechanical breathing making little steam puffs in the cool air. Up close, the wound looked terrible. The gash on its left side was deep, and that Voidshard fragment stuck in there pulsed with bad energy.
"Easy" Raya said softly, reaching for her belt slowly "I have salve that might help the bleeding"
But when she reached for her supplies, everything went crazy.
A figure dropped from the trees above, landed silently on the Runepath behind them. Covered in dark fabric that seemed to eat the light around it, about 5'9" tall with red eyes glowing like coals under the hood.
"Shadebinder" Raya hissed, her Weaveblade already half out.
The Shadebinder raised one hand, Alucent saw something small and dark flying at them. A Voidshard dart, about 5 centimeters long, spinning through the air. Maybe two seconds to reach them.
Alucent threw himself sideways, tackled Tavin to the ground as the dart whistled past their heads. It hit an Ironvine trunk behind them, immediately the bark started turning black and smoking around where it hit.
Oh crap, that could have been us!
"Run!" Raya shouted, but she was moving forward, not back. Her Weaveblade sang as it cleared the sheath, that crystalline edge catching what light there was.
The Shadebinder turned and ran, moving way too fast through the forest. Raya chased after it, her boots pounding on the copper Runepath. The chase went maybe 200 meters through the trees, lasted about 10 seconds of crazy speed before the Shadebinder got away in the deeper shadows.
Alucent helped Tavin up, both breathing hard from the sudden fight "You hurt?"
"No, but the whispers" Tavin's eyes were wide with fear "They're saying something about a 'fate-weaver's pull.' I think that Shadebinder was looking for something specific"
The Clockstag ran during the attack, but Alucent's tracking rune still pulsed with connection. He could feel it moving deeper into the forest, following those brass Steamcart rails toward something.
Raya came back a few minutes later, breathing hard and clearly annoyed "Lost it in the bushes. These Shadebinders know the forest better than we do"
"But look at this" Alucent pointed to the dart stuck in the tree trunk. The Voidshard weapon left a spreading stain in the bark, the runes carved there years ago now twisted into evil shapes "This wasn't random. It came here for a reason"
They looked around the area more. Several trees had fresh rune-scarring, like something was searching for specific marks or symbols. The damage looked systematic, on purpose.
"A Shadebinder raid" Raya said, running her fingers along one of the scarred trunks "They're looking for something, probably connected to the corruption we've been seeing"
Tavin walked over to where the Steamcart tracks were bent and scored "The fate-weaver's pull" he said again, voice distant "It's connected to the iron roads. Something about destinations and choices"
What does that even mean? Fate-weaver? Is that another person like Eloha?
Alucent's tracking rune pulsed more urgently, the Clockstag was moving away from them "We need to follow it. That creature knows something, and whatever hurt it might be connected to these raids"
They walked along the brass rails, following both the Clockstag's trail and the obvious mess left by the Shadebinder's search. The forest got denser, the Ironvine trunks blocking more afternoon light. That Runestorm hum got stronger too, making the air feel electric.
Walking along, Alucent saw something shiny in the bushes beside the tracks "Wait" he called, kneeling to look.
It was a small cloth pouch, clearly dropped recently. Inside were 10 Copperweaves, probably worth about a dollar in trade. Not much, but still something for people like Liora.
"Someone dropped this during the attack" Raya said "Probably a Steamcart passenger trying to escape"
"Or payment for something" Alucent said, putting the coins in his pocket. They felt good and real in his palm, actual reward for being here "Either way, we earned it"
They kept following the rails, forest closing around them like a tunnel. Songthrushes still calling from above, those 120 Hz songs sounding more like warnings now than music. Temperature kept dropping, Alucent could see his breath starting to mist.
"There" Tavin pointed ahead "Something big"
The brass rails curved around a bend, disappearing behind a bunch of really big Ironvine trunks. But even from where they were, something was wrong. Smoke was rising in thin streams, and there was a smell of burned metal and worse.
They approached carefully, Raya's Weaveblade ready and Alucent's hand on his Runequill. The tracking rune kept pulsing, the Clockstag had definitely passed this way.
Around the curve, they could see the full disaster. A Steamcart was derailed and turned over beside the tracks, its brass hull cracked open. Steam still coming from broken pipes, and cargo scattered everywhere. Some of the stuff looked valuable, runed items and crafted metals shining in the dim light.
But it was the scorch marks that got Alucent's attention. Same pattern of corruption from the Runewell, same twisted rune-scarring from the Shadebinder's darts. This wreck was connected to everything else.
"This wasn't an accident" Raya said, looking at the hull damage "Something attacked this Steamcart on purpose"
The Clockstag's trail led right to the wreck and seemed to circle it several times before going off into the deeper forest. Whatever it was looking for was connected to this disaster.
Alucent stared at a piece of cargo that spilled from the wreck. A small brass compass, its needle spinning wildly like it couldn't find north. But etched on its surface were runes he recognized, similar to the tracking pattern he just learned.
"I think we need to look at this more carefully" he said, picking up the compass "This wreck, the Shadebinder attack, the Clockstag... it's all connected"
An old woman came out from behind one of the overturned cargo containers, scared all of them. She was small and weathered, with smart eyes and a pack of salvage over her shoulder "You're following the clockwork beast too?" she asked.
"You've seen it?" Raya demanded.
"Seen it? I've been tracking it for three days. Ever since my Steamcart got attacked" She pointed to the wreck around them "That creature knows where they took the rest of my cargo. Valuable cargo"
She pulled out a hand-drawn map from her pack, covered with careful notes and route marks "I'll trade you this map for 2 Copperweaves. Shows all the hidden paths through these forests, including where that beast is heading"
Alucent looked at the coins in his palm. The trade would leave him with 8 Copperweaves and maybe valuable information "Deal" he said, handing over the coins.
The map was detailed, clearly drawn by someone who really knew the Ironvine forests. It showed not just the main Steamcart routes but smaller paths too, safe houses, even areas marked as "Shadebinder territory."
"The clockwork beast is heading here" the woman pointed to a spot deeper in the forest "Old ruins, abandoned for years. But recently, there's been activity. Lights at night, sounds of machinery"
While she talked, Alucent's tracking rune pulsed more urgently. The Clockstag was still moving, still leading them deeper into whatever mystery was in these forests.
"We should go" Raya said, studying the map "If the Shadebinders are using those ruins as a base, we need to report back to Sir Vorn"
But even as they got ready to keep following, Alucent could feel something else building in the distance. The Runestorm hum was getting stronger, and the air seemed to crackle. Whatever they were walking into, it was bigger than just tracking something.
This is getting really dangerous, but I can't stop now. That Clockstag needs help, and we need answers.
The forest stretched ahead, full of shadows and secrets, with the brass rails leading like a path toward whatever answers were waiting in the ruins.