Chapter 7: The Language of Trust
Kael's POV
Dawn arrives not with a gentle light, but with a cold, grey insistence that seeps through the canopy. I wake shivering, my body stiff from the hard ground and the lingering chill of fear. For one disorienting moment, I expect to see the familiar glow of the sanctuary's crystals, to hear Mom's voice calling me for morning meditation.
Instead, I see Seraphine. She's exactly where she was when I fell asleep, perched on a root like a carved statue, her eyes scanning the forest. She hasn't moved all night.
And at my feet, the shadow wolf cub is also awake, its yellow eyes watching me with an unnerving intensity. It doesn't look like it wants to eat me anymore. It looks... curious.
"You're awake." Seraphine's voice is flat with fatigue. She tosses me a small, wrinkled apple from a pouch at her belt. "Eat. We need to move soon."
The apple is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. I devour it, core and all, the simple act of eating grounding me in this new, harsh reality. My stomach still grumbles, a hollow ache that reminds me of all the meals I took for granted in the sanctuary.
"We need water," I say, my voice raspy. "And more food."
"I know." She stands, stretching stiffly. "Your... friend there might be able to help with the hunting part." She nods at the wolf cub.
The cub gets to its feet when I do, limping slightly but following me as I move toward the edge of our makeshift camp. It's behaving so strangely. Throne Beasts, even juveniles, are supposed to be mindless agents of corruption. This one acts almost... tame.
"I think it's bonded to you," Seraphine says, her tone analytical as she watches the cub shadow my movements. "The Core's energy. It's drawn to it. Or maybe it's repelled by the corruption in the other Beasts now. Either way, it seems to think you're its pack."
The idea is absurd. And yet... the cub nuzzles my hand with its cold, wet nose. The Echo Core hums, not with a memory, but with a feeling a sense of kinship, of a lonely creature finding an anchor. I tentatively reach out and scratch behind its ear. It leans into the touch, a low rumble vibrating in its chest.
"A guardian for the Guardian," Seraphine murmurs, a hint of wry amusement in her voice. "We should name it. It's awkward calling it 'the wolf cub'."
"Fenra," I say without thinking. The name surfaces from the Core, a memory of a loyal hound that served one of my ancestors. It means 'shadow protector' in the old tongue.
"Fenra it is." Seraphine shoulders her small pack. "Alright. You and Fenra find us water. I'll scout for edible plants and check for signs of pursuit. Meet back here before the sun reaches its peak. Remember your training, listen to the land."
She melts into the trees before I can protest. I'm left alone with a partially tamed Throne Beast and a monumental task. Find water. In a forest I don't know.
I close my eyes, pushing down the panic. I am Kael Vireon. I am here. I reach for the Core, not for memories of people, but for the lessons Mom drilled into me about sensing energy flows.
I focus on the feeling of the forest floor beneath my feet, the way the energy moves through the roots of the trees, the subtle pull of... there. A faint, cool thread of energy, flowing downhill. Water.
"Come on, Fenra," I whisper.
The cub trots beside me as I follow the energy signature. It's slow going. I'm not used to navigating rough terrain, and I have to stop often to re-orient myself. Fenra seems to understand the goal, sometimes running ahead and then looking back at me, as if urging me to follow.
We find the stream in a small, rocky gully. The water is clear and cold, rushing over smooth stones. The relief is so profound I almost weep. I drink until my stomach hurts, then fill the small waterskin Lorian had given me. Fenra laps eagerly at the water's edge.
The Core hums contentedly. I did it. On my own.
On the way back, Fenra suddenly freezes, her body tense, her nose twitching. She lets out a low growl and darts into the underbrush. There's a frantic squeal, then silence. She returns a moment later, a fat, rabbit-like creature held gently in her jaws. She drops it at my feet and looks up at me, her tail giving a tentative wag.
She's sharing her hunt.
It's a small thing, a simple act of survival. But in that moment, with the cool water in my waterskin and the gift of food at my feet, something shifts inside me. The overwhelming grief and terror recede, just a little, replaced by a fragile, budding sense of competence. I can do this. I can survive.
Seraphine's POV
I find them back at the hollow, and the scene makes me pause. Kael is attempting to skin the hare Fenra caught, his movements clumsy but determined. Fenra watches him intently, occasionally whining when he fumbles with the knife I lent him.
He looks up as I approach, and there's a new light in his silver eyes. Not the haunted, lost look from last night, but a flicker of pride.
"I found water," he says, holding up the full waterskin. "And Fenra found breakfast."
"I see that." I drop a handful of edible roots and berries next to the hare. "And I found these. Not a feast, but it will keep us going."
We work in silence to prepare the meager meal. I take over skinning the hare, showing him the efficient, precise movements. He watches, absorbing the knowledge with the same intensity he showed for architectural sigils. He's a quick learner.
As the hare roasts over a small, carefully concealed fire, I tell him what I found during my scout. "The Beast pack is moving north, away from us. But I found other tracks. Human. Lunaris scouts. They're searching a grid pattern. They'll find this area eventually."
His shoulders tense. "How long?"
"A day. Maybe two if we're lucky and the weather turns." I look at him, my decision made. "We can't stay in these woods. We need to get to the Riverlands. There are towns there, places to blend in. And... it's where the first person on your mother's list is rumored to be."
"Thorne," Kael says softly, the name clearly meaning something to him. "The Shield of Stone."
"The very same. If any of the old Vanguard are still alive and loyal, it would be him." I pause, choosing my words carefully. "But getting to the Riverlands means crossing open ground. And it means trusting that I can get us past my own order's patrols."
He looks from me, to Fenra, to the roasting hare , the first meal he's truly provided for himself. The heir to the Astral Throne, reduced to a fugitive in the wilderness, dependent on a rogue assassin and a tamed monster.
He meets my gaze, and the trust I see there is a heavier burden than any weapon.
"Then we go to the Riverlands," he says, his voice quiet but firm. "We find Thorne."
The decision is made. The path is set. We are no longer just surviving. We are hunting for hope.
And I will tear the world apart to make sure he finds it.
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What's Next:
The journey to the Riverlands will test their new-found trust and survival skills to the limit. They'll have to navigate dangerous terrain, avoid Lunaris patrols, and cross territory controlled by those who would see the last Vireon heir dead.
Thanks for reading! The foundation of Kael's new life is being built, one hard-won lesson at a time.