Chapter 9: The Rebel Outpost
The Dawnflame Citadel rose from the volcanic plains like a shard of burning glass, its spires pulsing with divine light. Inside its war chamber, fire braziers lined the walls, throwing long shadows across a stone table carved with clan territories.
Lysa knelt on one knee, her armor scorched, her spear lowered. The half of the Void Relic she had salvaged pulsed faintly in her gauntlet.
Across from her stood General Veylan Solmarch, commander of the Dawnflame's southern legions. His crimson cloak pooled like fresh blood, his godmark—a glowing ember branded on his brow—throbbed in rhythm with Solarius's fire.
"You return… and alone," Veylan said, voice like smoldering coals. "The ruins were not kind to you, Dawnflame Spear."
Lysa bowed her head. "The guardian fell, General. I retrieved only half the relic. The other…" She hesitated, Kael's image flashing in her mind—dark energy writhing as he claimed what should have been hers. "…the other was seized by a Void-touched interloper."
The room stirred. Officers muttered curses, scoffs, even laughter.
Veylan's gaze sharpened. "A Void-touched survived the Plains? Speak clearly, Lysa. What did you face?"
Her throat tightened. She wanted to dismiss him, call him nothing. Yet Kael's memory burned too vividly—absorbing powers, evolving mid-battle.
"He was Tier I at best," she said carefully, "but dangerous. He bears an unstable fragment of the Eclipse. He… adapts. Faster than he should. He is not to be taken lightly."
The chamber hushed.
Veylan studied her, then gave a faint smile. "And yet, you live. That means he bleeds. That means he can die."
A ripple of relief spread. Some laughed again. Void-cursed scavenger, they muttered. Nothing more.
Lysa bit her tongue. She could not hand them every truth—not yet.
Veylan stepped forward, his gauntleted hand pressing her shoulder. "You've done well. Solarius's flame shines brighter for your loyalty. Rest, Lysa. This Void-born is nothing but a weed in ash. And we will burn him."
She bowed lower, hiding the flicker of unease in her eyes. Nothing more than a weed…
But weeds spread, didn't they?
⸻
The Ashen Plains stretched endless behind Kael as he stumbled on, wounds burning, Voidscale Armor cracked. His veins pulsed black with corruption.
By the time he collapsed against a jagged ridge, the System flared awake.
⸻
[System Status: Tier I Initiate]
Corruption: 17% (Stable, but rising)
Abilities:
• Ember Void Strike (Lv. 2)
• Voidscale Armor (Lv. 1, fractured)
• Galevoid Slash (Lv. 1)
• Stoneheart Resilience (Lv. 1)
• Voidchain Grasp (Lv. 1)
Eclipse Fusion: Locked until Tier II
Sovereign Domain: Dormant (Corruption < 15%)
⸻
Kael cursed. His domain was sealed. Corruption creeping higher. His body, a weapon breaking from the inside.
A whistle cut through the ash.
Figures emerged from the rocks—bows raised, armor patched together from scraps of clan steel. Their forearms bore black ash streaks, drawn like war paint: the Ashmark.
"Void-taint," one spat. "Kill him before a patrol finds us."
Kael raised his hand, voidflame sparking. But a commanding voice cut the tension.
"Hold."
A tall, scarred man stepped forward. Broad shoulders. Silver-streaked hair. A greatsword across his back.
Commander Riven Kaelor.
His soldiers lowered weapons slightly, but their eyes never softened.
Riven studied Kael the way one studies a wolf—dangerous, but worth taming. "You survived the Plains. Alone. That's no small feat. What are you?"
Kael's voice was raw. "Someone who wants the gods dead."
Murmurs spread. Some scoffed. Others crossed themselves in the Ashmark gesture—fingers dragged down the cheek to honor fallen kin.
From the shadows stepped a woman with silver hair and eyes like blades. Selene Veyra.
"Or someone who will doom us," she said coldly. "Look at him. The veins. The glow. He's half-corrupted already. They always lose control."
Kael's fingers twitched toward his weapon, but his legs threatened collapse.
Riven didn't move. "Maybe. Or maybe he's the blade we've been waiting for."
Selene's jaw tightened. "You'd risk us all for a gamble?"
Daren Holt, grease-stained and grinning, piped up from the crowd. "Come on, Selene. If he fought through beasts and clan hunters, maybe he's exactly what we need."
"Need?" Selene snapped. "He'll bring the gods to our door."
The argument swelled until Riven raised a hand. Silence fell.
"Words won't decide this," he said flatly. His gaze locked on Kael. "You want to live? Prove you're more than the danger you bring."
He gestured to an iron-gated pit carved into the rock. From within, a guttural roar rattled the ground.
"The beast in there has ended better men than you," Riven said. "Survive it, and you stay. Fail, and the ash takes you."
The gate screeched open.
Kael's body screamed, but his fury burned hotter. He stepped into the pit.
⸻
The monster burst forth—a three-headed hound plated in volcanic chitin, eyes glowing with godfire.
The rebels above whispered prayers, dropping carved stones into nearby braziers—whisper stones. Sparks leapt skyward with each crack, carrying names of the fallen.
Kael noticed them. Tradition. Ritual. This outpost carried more than desperation. It carried memory.
But there was no time to ponder. The beast lunged.
The battle was agony. His Voidscale Armor cracked under its weight. Chains tore, strikes clashed. Corruption surged, whispering in his veins—promising strength if he surrendered.
No.
Kael drove his flaming fist into its final head, shadow and fire exploding outward. The beast collapsed in a twitching heap.
He fell to his knees beside it, chest heaving, blood dripping onto the ash.
Silence hung heavy. Then, murmurs. Some cheered. Others muttered fearfully.
Riven descended into the pit, extending a hand. "You're reckless. Half-dead. But alive. And that's more than most."
Kael clasped his hand, pulling himself upright. "Then I'll fight with you. Until the gods fall."
Selene's glare stayed sharp. Daren grinned like a fool. From the shadows, children with faintly glowing eyes peeked out, awe shining in their faces.
The System flickered.
⸻
[Trial Survived: Ashen Refuge Proving Pit]
Reputation: Neutral → Cautious Acceptance
Corruption: +2% (19%)
⸻
Before the moment settled, a scout burst into the chamber, breathless. "Commander! Dawnflame patrols are sweeping the Plains. They've marked the land with hunt-runes."
Riven's jaw hardened. His gaze slid to Kael.
"Looks like your shadow's already drawing fire."
Kael met his stare, unyielding. "Then let them come."