The road east wound through a valley where the jungle gave way to stony ridges and hidden streams. The journey was quiet at first, broken only by the crunch of boots on gravel and the chirping of strange crystal-feathered birds overhead. Elara clung to Ryan's hand, her small steps trying to match his stride, determination etched onto her young face.
Ryan glanced down, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You're keeping up better than me," he teased.
Elara puffed out her cheeks proudly. "Kaelin says you have to walk like you're ready for battle."
Kaelin, marching ahead, glanced back with the faintest smirk. "At least someone listens."
Lyra chuckled softly, shaking her head. "And yet she forgets Kaelin also said not to swing sticks near people's knees."
Elara's cheeks turned crimson, and even Ryan laughed aloud. The tension between Kaelin and Lyra eased, if only for a moment, as the girl's presence lightened the air around them.
---
By midday, they reached a stream cutting through the rocks, its waters faintly glowing under the sun. Kaelin scouted the ridge while Lyra filled their flasks. Ryan sat with Elara, showing her how to clean her blade — a small dagger Lyra had enchanted so it wouldn't rust.
Elara's brow furrowed with concentration as she mimicked his motions. "If I keep practicing, will I be strong like you one day?"
Ryan's throat tightened. Strong like me? He didn't feel strong, not compared to Kaelin or Lyra. But looking at Elara's hopeful eyes, he forced a smile. "Stronger," he said firmly.
Before Elara could answer, Kaelin shouted from the ridge. "Movement!"
Shadows stirred along the rocks. Three lean, jagged creatures crawled from the cracks — reptilian, with scales that shimmered like broken glass. Their eyes glowed a hungry green.
Ryan leapt to his feet, pulling Elara behind him. Kaelin slid down the ridge, blade flashing, while Lyra raised a ward of light. The beasts hissed, circling, snapping their jaws.
"Stay back," Ryan warned Elara.
But the girl didn't cower. Instead, she scooped up a handful of pebbles, her small face set in determination. "Like this?" she whispered, and before Ryan could stop her, she hurled them at the nearest beast.
The stones struck its eye with surprising accuracy. The creature shrieked, staggering. Kaelin didn't waste the opening; her sword sliced deep, dropping it in a single blow.
Ryan's heart froze. "Elara—!"
Lyra caught her arm gently, her amber eyes warm but serious. "She's braver than she looks."
The battle ended quickly, but Ryan couldn't shake the mix of pride and fear pounding in his chest. Afterward, as they rested, Kaelin knelt before Elara.
"You've got courage," Kaelin admitted gruffly. "But don't be reckless. You don't fight alone. You fight with us."
Elara nodded, eyes shining. Lyra wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders, whispering softly, "And that's how families survive."
Ryan looked at the three of them — Kaelin's protective sternness, Lyra's nurturing warmth, Elara's unshakable spirit — and felt the artifact pulse against his chest. For the first time, he realized their group wasn't just traveling companions anymore. Piece by piece, they were becoming something far greater.