"Whether they die does not need to be a decision a child like you has to make."
The voice that caused the earth to quake spoke through the howling wind. But what was concerning was the pitch of the voice; it didn't sound human.
It sounded like a rumble, like stone grinding against stone.
And what they saw next, as the layer of hailing snow ceased, shocked them.
Xerxes and Airi turned as one. Amid the shrieking blizzard, a towering silhouette revealed itself.
Its skin was the colour of weathered slate, its frame was layered in muscles under the frost-laden furs. An iron collar bit into his neck, and with each heavy breath, more frost formed on it.
The giant before them finally released his large foot from the men he had just killed. He didn't hold any glimpses of triumph on his face, only a grim resolve.
Xerxes didn't raise his sword, but his grip did tighten. He expected to be more fazed, but after everything he had seen, which he thought was impossible, this was a lot more toned down.
"Why?" Xerxes called out, his voice battling the gale. "Why did you help me?"
The giant's eyes fixed on him. "You should not bear the burden of taking another's life. As much as your fighting style exhibits precision and ruthlessness, I know you lacked the conviction to truly kill them."
'I lack the conviction?' Xerxes wondered as the words repeated in his head. He felt the grip on his blade loosen ever so slightly.
He didn't believe that he did, 'I was ready, I was ready to end them, he doesn't know anything about me or my conviction.'
The giant took a heavy step forward, whilst Xerxes was questioning his own ability; the ground trembled with each step.
Trying to ignore the words of the giant, Xerxes barked more questions, "Are you after Orpheus too!?"
Its footsteps halted as soon as Orpheus was mentioned, and a dark expression quickly appeared on his face as he clenched his fists till his knuckles turned pale.
"Judging by your silence, I believe that you are; if so, that would make us allies. And if there's one thing I know, your body is lathered in wounds, bruises and every other injury that would slow you down."
The giant gritted his teeth and peered at Xerxes, "So, what would you suggest? I can't simply wait around; he has the people I care about."
Xerxes thought on Thornfum's smug face, his ridiculous provocations and the unique fighting style he bore, then he replied.
"You see, something we have in common. I saw a cave not too far from here, let's take this conversation there, the wind is only growing harsher." Xerxes stated.
With a bit of reluctance, the giant agreed, and they both made their way to a cave that surprisingly could fit the giant in.
Xerxes conjured a small, warming flame, and the giant sat with his back against the wall. The giant breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed to be a very long time since he wasn't on his feet, moving.
"My name's Xerxes Draedon, and I should ask, what's your name?"
The giant clenched his fist, "Kaylun, Kaylun of the Gem'rafh."
Xerxes tilted his head slightly, "The Gem'rafh?" Xerxes immediately cut to the heart of the matter. "I believe asking this will be quicker. I understand you were Orpheus' slave. But it's more than that, isn't it?"
The image of the body he stumbled across entered his mind.
"They were missing their eyes. I don't think Orpheus is just capturing slaves for something as trivial as gold, but he's harvesting them."
Kaylun's hand rose to touch the iron collar. A flicker of sorrow crossed his stony features. "We are the Gem'rafh. The last guardians of an ancient burrow. A millennia ago, our lineage was blessed by Hera, a daughter of Luminare's light."
He then gestured to his eyes, and from the dull colour of sapphire, they immediately shone with a divine light. "Our eyes aren't merely for sight. They are unique... in a way they are our soul fragments. And they are permanent."
Airi, perched on a rock, "Permanent? As in, they will not dissipate after death?"
"No," Kaylun confirmed, his voice was grave and filled with anger.
"To harvest one is to rob us of our identity, of who we are. But to harvest many..." He trailed off, the unspoken horror lingering in the air.
Xerxes' mind grasped it, and he began to connect the dreadful dots. "He's not some collector, he's a hoarder. One eye is a powerful fragment, but dozens..."
His eyes narrowed. "That's a stockpile of precious materials." But the only thing Xerxes couldn't piece together was why.
Kaylun's people have been blessed by a child of Luminare, so why would Orpheus want to strip them of that blessing? What could he possibly be after?
Trying to assist Xerxes, Kaylun asked a very strange question. "You said we share something in common, that he has the people we care for. Do you mind informing me of who he took?"
Xerxes didn't find it strange and explained a few things about Thornfum. He talked about his rash nature, his insufferable pursuit of love and finally the secrets of his forging ability.
Thornfum was someone who could actually use ancient techniques, due to the inherited gifts of his family, the Furdia's.
The words struck the giant like a physical blow. "If what you say is true, then this situation went from bad to worse."
Xerxes frowned, forcing the giant to continue.
"You mentioned that you and the forger were after Moonshard. Conveniently enough, Orpheus has been taking the large burrow that we guard, alongside our men."
He paused for a moment and continued, "But trying to forge with the ore is another story, that technique is only known to very few in my clan, and if you imply that this... Thornfum can do it."
Xerxes continued what the giant was saying, "Then he intends to use Thornfum to forge something for him, but what use do the eyes of the Gem'rafh play in all of this."
But then Daryul's voice replayed in his mind, 'Do not be mistaken, Xerxes, my friend. The 5th aspect of Baratheon, Kilburn, was multiple times stronger than the current aspect. Why you may ask, it is because he inherited one of Luminare's weapons.'
Xerxes' next words came in a stifled mumble, "Is he somehow trying to extract the 'light' from your eyes to craft a weapon, a weapon that will put him leagues ahead of many?"
Both Kaylun and Xerxes sat in silence for a while. The cryptic message that Thornfum provided was no longer just a mystery; it was a sickening plan that turned out to be more disastrous than he could have thought.
Trying to form a plan now was extremely difficult. Xerxes only now realised the gravity of the situation, and as much as he wanted to push the thoughts away, he wasn't sure if he could stop this all on his own.
They needed backup, they needed Thornfum back, they needed Orpheus gone. But after so many months of secluding himself from people, from pushing them away, he had no one.
Each time Learna called out to him, he pushed her away. Trying to forge a friendship with Tristan was fruitless, and the singular person who had been through death's grasp with him didn't want anything to do with him.
'Curse it all.' Xerxes thought through the helpless situation that was forming before them.
Kaylun then looked at Airi, rubbing his eyes multiple times to ensure what he was seeing was correct.
Xerxes then got up and noticed his expression, "Oh yeah, I said I would help you, Airi, can you use your healing flames on him?"
Airi fluttered her wings and blew a soothing flame on him, which slowly started repairing his body. His wounds started to close, his bruised body swelled down a lot less, and the giant seemed to be filled with awe.
Xerxes chuckled, trying to ease his nerves, "She's amazing, isn't she?"
Kaylun spoke, almost as if he was reciting ancient scriptures, "You carry a spark of the old world with you, little flame."
Airi wasn't sure if it was the best time to reveal that she was likely born in the era of the Great War of Succession, but Xerxes nodded his head in approval.
For the most part, he could trust Kaylun; he didn't exhibit any signs that made Xerxes doubt him.
Airi spoke, "Well, I am a phoenix from the great war of succession, so if you're alluding to that, then yes."
Kaylun started laughing, somewhat victoriously. It momentarily made Xerxes and Airi on edge, but he quickly began to explain himself.
"The only way Moonshard can be smelted down is through the use of phoenix flame, my ancestors had informed us of that, and we still hold some of that immortal flame today, but it is hidden. Meaning that, if your phoenix doesn't temper the steel, then we have a chance."
Kaylun's tense expression slowly faded as he looked down, "For too long I have felt hopeless, but I should thank destiny that I met you, Xerxes Draedon. It's imperative that we reach my lands before Orpheus finds his way there."
Xerxes felt a bit more liberated knowing that only Airi could temper the steel, but he could only wonder what part phoenixes played so many years ago.
'Why was Moonshard such a valuable material, and how did the being within my soul core know? It's just as he predicted, but it's not like before. Back then, I was too late to save everyone, but now. Now I can really make a difference, I'm finally at a point where I can resist a cruel destiny.'
He felt sure that he would defy it; he needed to. In Xerxes' life, he's never really felt like he's had any sort of advantage, but now it was as if he had the upper hand.
The pieces of the puzzle were weaving together, and he could see it before it happened.
"The Gem'rafh are few in number, Orpheus has defiled 80 giants, with only less than 200 remaining, I will save them all and get to them before he can."
Xerxes decided to observe the map one last time. He knew time was running out before Thornfum's mark was to fade, and to his surprise, they had moved slightly.
Showing his discovery to the giant, they were able to pinpoint how far it would take Orpheus to reach the tribe, compared to how long it would take the two of them. The time difference was roughly 2-3 days.
It seemed like Orpheus was likely making a detour, which Kaylun was able to discover due to the unnatural path he had taken, whereas the Gem'rafh knew the most efficient route.
Kaylun, in particular, had memorised a route he shared with Xerxes, making the journey through the interpass easier.
Considering all those factors, they were given an ample amount of time to prepare. It wasn't much, but when matters were this critical, every second counted.
Xerxes and Kaylun both rose to their feet with newfound determination. Orpheus wouldn't be able to succeed.
If he didn't have Thornfum, he couldn't.
If he didn't have Airi, he couldn't.
They were two key variables that could only be used side by side, and Xerxes nor Kaylun were going to allow his plans to flourish.
With that, they left the cave and began departing to the home of a near-extinct clan that they would save.