24: Forbidden Lore
Mia and Kaian rode into the Duskwater Expanse, a land with ancient secrets and whispers. They were headed to the Thornmere Fen, a forbidden place where the Moon Witch dwelled. She was once a guardian of balance, but now she was an exile marked by prophecy and madness. Kaian didn't trust her, but he trusted that she knew things that could help them.
The Witch's Price
They found the Moon Witch in a ring of petrified wolves. She sensed their presence and spoke without turning, "You carry the stench of broken oaths and the fire of the cursed child." Kaian asked for truth, and the witch replied, "Speak gently, for truth has sharp teeth." Mia offered a shard of moon crystal linked to Kira's birth, and the witch took it. Her fingers trembled as she revealed that Kira was not just a flame, but a remnant of Nyxar's will, created from his dying howl and woven into the Veil.
The Moon Witch explained that Nyxar didn't just want Kira; he wanted himself back. Mia asked if Kira could be unbound, and the witch presented a terrible choice: break the bond and risk Kira's soul or let it grow and risk everything. As they left, the witch warned them of a name that could bind Nyxar, but it would come at a price, and not everyone could pay it.
The stakes were higher than ever. Kira's destiny was intertwined with Nyxar's, and the fate of the world hung in the balance. Mia and Kaian had to make a choice that would determine the course of their future and the future of the world. The sky pulsed with red in the distance, a sign that time was running out.
The Price of Names
Mia and Kaian rode in silence, the Moon Witch's words echoing in their minds. They wondered if Kira was still herself, or just a spark of Nyxar's will. As they approached the Hollow, they noticed something was wrong. The wind was still, and the guards were gone. The scent of blood and smoke filled the air, and Kaian shifted into his war-form.
They rushed to the central square, where they found bodies scattered along the stone paths. The Children of the Eclipse had left a message: "THE FLAME IS A LIE. THE GOD RETURNS." Mia's blade was in her hand, and she knew they had to act fast. As she fought, she had a vision of chains and smoke, and a voice that told her to seek the Bone-Father, the Keeper of Oaths Broken.
The Witch's Echo
Mia stumbled, and Kaian caught her. She whispered that Nyxar knew they were searching for him, and he wasn't afraid. Kaian's voice was grim, "He should be." They gathered survivors and met with Velian in the smoke-filled council chamber. Velian told them that the Children of the Eclipse had opened a gate using stolen blood runes, letting a shadow creature through.
The Path Ahead
Mia and Kaian knew they had to find the Bone-Father, who might be able to forge new bonds to hold Nyxar back. They decided to leave at dawn, and Mia looked back at Kira's tower, whispering, "Hold on, little flame. We'll find a way to keep you burning." The fate of the Hollow and its people hung in the balance, and Mia and Kaian were determined to protect them.
The journey ahead would be treacherous, but Mia and Kaian were ready to face the challenges. They knew that the gate was opening faster than they feared, and they had to act fast to prevent a disaster. The Bone-Father might hold the key to their survival, and they were willing to take the risk to find him.
The Forgotten Truth
The Moon Witch appeared in the shadows of a broken tower, her eyes still veiled, her voice full of power. She gave Mia and Kaian a relic, a bone disc etched with a split crescent, which began to spin on its own, showing them images of Nyxar's past. They saw him as a wolf-god, guardian of instinct and strength, but he desired more - lineage, perfection, and obedience. He began binding bloodlines with shadow, culling impurity, and breeding wolves like beasts. The Moon Goddess exiled him, cutting his name from the stars and breaking his chains of worship.
The witch revealed that Nyxar's power didn't die, it just hid, and now it's growing again because the Veil is weakening, and Kira carries both blood and shadow in her bones. The witch warned that if Kira is taken to the Eclipse Temple, Nyxar will return as a whole god, bound no more. Kaian asked where the temple was, and the witch told them it was beneath the Broken Moons, at the edge of the Veil, where the Children of the Eclipse were headed.
The Witch's Final Warning
The witch's voice dropped to a whisper, "If Kira is used to awaken him, he will return, not as shadow, not as hunger, but as god." Mia's heart pounded as she realized the Children of the Eclipse meant to use Kira to restore Nyxar. A distant howl echoed through the mountains, a sound that wasn't made by any living creature, but by a chain breaking, a god waking. Kaian and Mia knew they had to move fast, and they vowed to bring fire to the Eclipse Temple and bring Kira home.
The stakes were higher than ever, and Mia and Kaian were determined to protect Kira and the world from Nyxar's return. They knew the journey ahead would be treacherous, but they were ready to face the challenges. The fate of the Hollow and its people hung in the balance, and Mia and Kaian were willing to risk everything to save them.