Chapter 8: Foothills of the Forgotten
The road narrowed as Kael and the woman ascended into the foothills of the Blackstone Mountains. Jagged rocks jutted from the earth like broken teeth, and the wind carried whispers that were almost voices.
Shadows stretched unnaturally across the terrain, shifting in ways that made Kael's skin crawl.
He pressed his hands against his legs, feeling the faint glow pulse beneath his skin. Every step made it flare brighter, a reminder of the power he carried—and the one that waited for him.
"You're tiring yourself," the woman said, her voice cutting through the eerie silence. "You must conserve your strength. The mountains will not be forgiving."
Kael shook his head. "I don't have a choice. If I hesitate, they'll—"
"They?" she asked sharply.
He glanced over his shoulder. The hunters from before were gone, but a lingering sense of being watched had not left him.
And beneath that… a deeper presence. Something older. Something patient.
"I can feel them," he admitted, voice low. "The creatures… and something else. Something beneath the mountain."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "Good. That means the bond is strengthening. But beware—bond and control are not the same. Lose control, and it will devour you from the inside out."
Kael clenched his fists. "I won't let that happen."
The first shadow fell across their path before either of them saw it.
A low rumble echoed through the foothills. The ground trembled slightly, dust falling from overhanging rocks. Kael froze. The light beneath his skin flared in response.
Then they came.
Not one. Not two. A dozen. Large, malformed beasts with jagged limbs and glowing eyes, emerging from the rock and shadows as if they had been carved from the mountains themselves.
Their claws dug into stone, sending sparks flying. Each of them exuded a heatless aura of malice, and their gaze was fixed entirely on Kael.
He took a step back, the power inside him responding instinctively. He felt the Forgotten stirring, hungry and impatient.
"They know," the woman whispered, stepping in front of him. "And they will test you."
Kael swallowed. "Test me?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she raised her hands and began to chant in a low, resonant voice.
The air around her shimmered, and a faint barrier of shadow and light formed between them and the creatures.
The creatures snarled and advanced. One lunged forward, claws tearing into the ground, but the barrier held, forcing it to recoil.
Kael closed his eyes, focusing. Slowly, the energy beneath his skin responded to his will, no longer chaotic, but deliberate.
He raised his hands, directing it outward—not to destroy, but to command.
The creatures halted, tilting their heads, their red eyes reflecting the glow of his veins. They were waiting.
For him.
Kael's voice shook as he whispered, "Leave… or suffer."
The largest of the creatures stepped forward, its jagged form taller than a man, its eyes fixed on him with unnatural intelligence.
The pull in Kael's chest surged—the Forgotten inside him awakening fully, testing his resolve.
The creature moved again. Kael willed the energy within him to respond, letting it flow outward like a river under control. The light did not strike, did not burn—it enforced.
The creature stumbled, bowing its head slightly. The others followed suit, hissing softly, surrounding him but not attacking.
Kael's chest heaved. His power flared in rhythm with the pulse beneath the mountains. He could feel the seal beneath the stone, like a heartbeat deep in the earth. And he knew—the first layer had responded to him.
The woman stepped closer, voice soft but firm. "Well done. You are learning. But this is only the beginning. The mountain will test you again—and it will not be merciful."
Kael looked at the creatures before him. They were not enemies… yet not friends either. They were the first glimpse of what the Forgotten truly meant.
"I understand," he said quietly. "I can feel it… and I'll control it. I have to."
The woman nodded. "Then we continue. But know this—the mountains have eyes, and what waits above the peaks knows of you now."
Kael stared at the jagged cliffs ahead. Somewhere deep within, chains were straining.
Something sealed.
Something awake.
And as he stepped forward, the creatures melted back into the shadows, silent guardians… or silent witnesses.
The path ahead was long. Dark. And alive.