Long ago, when the sky still shimmered orange and gold during dawn, and the rivers hummed warm songs to the earth, the heart of the world beat within a flame.
Emberhearth stood strong within the Artherfrost mountains, sheltering the flame that was more to the people than just fire – it was the soul of the town.
The Eternal Flame burned bright, a gift given by the gods to balance the realms: to still the chaos of the world and guide the stars.
Other realms became envious of this gift, as often happens. A group that called themselves the Veilborn: a group of ice wielders, with skin translucent and dark black veins running underneath like cracks, emerged on Emberhearth to sabotage the flame
They claimed that the one who held the power of the ember could change the world – and so the civilians fought to keep the flame shining – but it wasn't enough.
The flame faltered.
Then without a whisper of warning, it died.
And now, the city of Eldryn stood lifeless. Once where fire and light roared, left lifeless architecture, slowly fading to ash. The ember's power had held within the kingdom for a steady 4 years, before a gust of icy wind from the mountains knocked it dry. The magic shrivelled and drained like autumn leaves, falling to the ground in rubbles of ash. Eldryn's crops, once green and glowing, slowly rotted and decayed.
The High Council convened in a desperate panic beneath the once-golden, now blackened, dome of the Sunspire Court.
"We don't have any more time left!" Chancellor Rein's fist hit the wooden table with a grunt, "If we do not make effort to restore the flame, this city will be ashes within a week!"
The room swarmed with uncertainty once more, each board member shouting possible cures for the flame, only to be met with another impossible idea. The shouting died sharply as the eldest seer, blind eyed and frail, rose from her seat.
"The Last Ember." She rasped, "That is our only hope."
The Last Ember: a fragment of the Eternal Flame, hidden somewhere within the Atherfrost mountains – only to be seeked during times of deadly crisis. A shard that had the ability to reignite the flame and restore its magic – or destroy it completely.
The Last Ember had to be found by one born of fire blood, with pure intention of its source.
"We know what we must do." Chancellor Rein strokes his grey goatee thoughtfully, "We must call upon he who was exiled."
The board lets out a gasp, a member standing abruptly, "But Chancellor, it is against Eldryn's code of conduct that one born of fire blood should never return to-"
"He is our only hope." Chancellor Rein tips his chin higher, "You heard Lorella. Call for him immediately, and find him company."
Xander Thorne, born to Emberhearth's lead soldier of the Firemancers, it was no surprise that he took the bloodline of his father. After all, his mother was a florist who specialised in medical herbal flowering – a speciality frowned upon within Eldryn.
After the loss of the Eternal Flame, Emberhearth's squads were blamed for the flame's death, and those who made it out alive were to be sentenced to a lifetime in jail within Eldryn. All non-prisoned fire wielders became illegal within the kingdom, and should they manifest a fire signet, they were to be exiled immediately.
Xander stood before the council, feeling the weight of each and every stare in his direction before glancing at the comedic sized chains that tugged at his wrists and ankles.
"You have a choice," Chancellor Aaric boomed from the stand, "Retrieve the Last Ember, or remain in exile until death falls upon you."
Xander let out a scoff, lifting his chained wrist as the guard behind him winced in fear, "Why should I favour you when you treat me like this?"
"You are of fire blood!" A member of the board shouts, disgusted.
"And he is the only one who homes this ability." Lorella stood reaching her hand over to the boy. She takes his hand in a tight embrace causing Xander's fingers to tingle. "He has the potential."
"Remove his chains." A female voice spoke as she, and another man entered the room, "He won't give in if you treat him as a prisoner."
"Thalia Velaris." Chancellor Aaric greeted, "Alden Riorson. It's good to see you agreed." His eyes meet Alden's for a brief moment before returning to the now trio. "You three shall find and conquer the Last Ember. Upon completion, you will be granted favours of your choosing."
"When do we leave, sir?" Alden spoke, his words haste.
"An hour. Prepare your things."
Thalia and Alden met Xander the city gates, Thalia burdened with satchels of maps and ancient scrolls for the journey. He learned that she was a scholar from the Great Archive in Eldryn, therefore he knew that she was all sharp words, and even sharper eyes. Xander also learned that her mother was one of the best, and most respected scribes within the Archive with a history of reporting the biggest events – except they must now be putting that responsibility on her daughter. After all, this mission could be deadly for all three of them.
Alden Riorson was a fallen knight clad who stood in battered armour, his honour more rusted than the blade sheathed at his hip – though, Xander had a level of respect for him as he was a commander of his father's army. He did note that Alden watched his every move through piercing hazel eyes that were sharper than any blade.
The three of them had to potential to re-write the history books as they knew it and restore the magic within the kingdom. So together, they ventured into the dying world.
"This map has two locations" Thalia noted as they set off, "The Ashen Ruins and The Forge of the First Light."
Alden visibly tensed at the mention of the locations, "The Ashen Ruins?" Alden spoke slow, "As in the base?"
"Apparently so." Thalia stared ahead, the path growing colourless as the group walked.
The Ashen Ruins – once called The Planting Land, where fertile plains glowed with dozens of crops to feed the empire and radiant towns housing sacred temples and castles, now stood overgrown. The land had to be evacuated of civilians during the war for the Eternal Flame to be used as a base, only for no one to return home. Buildings stood swallowed in nature and the soil had become hard earth.
It was a graveyard of a battlefield long forgotten.
Overgrown trees stretched towards a colourless sky, and the grass frail, snapped beneath their feet like glass. The land was slowly losing its life.
The group decided to set up camp for the night, finding a smaller castle that was only slightly overgrown, but still habitable for a night.
"What happened here?" Xander asks the group
"The Firemancers used this place as a camp during the war of the Eternal Flame." Thalia says, tossing another branch into the small fire. "Your father was one of their leaders." She says glancing to Xander
"And now it's happening again." Alden muttered, sharpening his sword by the firelight
"Again?" Xander asks, "I thought the Veilborn wanted to steal the flame and that's why the war began..."
"Partially true." Thalia answers, pulling a leather notepad from her satchel, "The Ember was weak due to the winter season, the Veilborn – born of cold blood – knew this and advanced." She flips through the pages until a diagram of the Eternal Flame appeared, "The Veilborn knew they could advance easier as our land was dealing with lesser magic – it was one of the ember's downfalls."
"Why didn't we send the people with signets to fight?" Xander runs a confused hand through his dark hair, "They would have had a better chance, right?"
"There are few with useful signet powers in battle." Alden watches as the fire reflects off his sword, "Eldryn banned signets they found to be dangerous years ago – fire wielders were only banned after the war."
"Correct - fire wielders were viewed as resourceful. For instance, there was an annual fire show in Eldryn for centuries to celebrate fire wielders and the responsibilities they upheld." Thalia nods, "The High Council had no use for lightning wielders or shadow wielders for example – therefore they were exiled."
Unbeknownst to the group, unseen eyes watched their every move eagerly. Shadows stirred behind the fire light of the castle walls but was yet to cross the line – yet.
The next morning, the group were awoken by a cold gust of wind that swept through the stone walls. The once vibrant green of the vines that hung from the ceiling had now become shrivelled and brown, some even snapping and falling to the ground like confetti.
"We must advance immediately." Alden snapped his sword back into the hilt at his hip "The earth is growing weaker."
The next location on their map was the temple of the Forge of the First Light: a temple hidden deep beneath the mountain of Auraloch, where veins of magma still beat through the town in a steady rhythm. The temple was an ancient sanctuary used by the mountain's people to not only worship the flame but shape it.
The forge was a sacred and treasured meeting location for divine fire and craftmanship, and according to the fables: a place where dragons would go to lay and rest. The most powerful relics in all of the world were crafted within the walls of the temple from the Eternal Flame itself, which was lit here according to the books.
The walls inside the forge bore hundreds, if not thousands of carvings of fire and relics, but also a river flowing of molten gold and a blazing tree. At the temple's core, a carving of a tiny ember was being carried by a cloaked figure beaming with light.
Thalia traced the carvings with trembling fingers, "These are incredible." She whispered
"What is that?" Alden asks, his head nudging towards the carving of the cloaked figure
"It looks like my father." Xander swallowed, "He had a cape similar to that one, he only used it during sacred rituals."
"That is the last ember." Thalia joined the two men standing in front of the wall "It is said that it lies beyond civilians and death... only to be found in the cavern at the top of the Atherfrost mountain."
Xander frowned. The Atherfrost was no mere mountain: it was a deathtrap – essentially an icicle stabbed into the ground where no fire could ever survive, and no human had ever returned from.
Behind them, a whisper shattered the silence from the shadows in a low, raspy voice
"You cannot save it."
The three of them whipped around, Alden's sword already unsheathed ready for whatever awaited behind them. But they found nothing but shadow. Xander's sigil on his upper left arm began to burn with inkling – something was following them.
"We have to be careful." Xander's voice was breathless, "We're not here alone."
"Comforting." Alden muttered
"What do we do, fire wielder?" Thalia asks from beside Xander
"We go to the Atherfrost."
"Are you insane?!" Alden's head whips towards him
"What?"
"You want to send us on a death mission up that mountain? Knock on fire boy." Alden seethed
"Enough!" Thalia sighed, "All the signs point to the mountain, and we all know it."
"Literally..." Xander speaks, his eyes burning on the carved mountain that was behind the cloaked figure on the wall, "It's the only option we have."
The Atherfrost towered before the group like a dagger into the heavens, sheathed in an endless fall of winter. Every step upwards would be a battle, and every breath would burn the lungs.
Here, the wind does not howl, it screams.
Their boots crunched and sunk into the snow-covered ground; their footsteps being erased almost immediately behind them. Like frozen spines, jagged shards of white-blue crystal emerge from the mountain's sides. Dark shadows swarm overhead while winged remains from creatures that do not belong of this world lie scattered.
Xander, burdened an everblooming pit of guilt leads silently towards the mountain. His black jacket scored at the edges in frost as his blade, lend by Alden glows dimly as his thigh, being the only warmth he has felt for miles. Every step he takes solidifies his determination, yet the coldness of the air claws at his skin in an attempt to pull him back.
Thalia, wrapped in her fur aligned coat and flame-etched words, isn't far behind. Her hands grew numb miles back, but her mind is a light. Whispers from the mountain flow through the wind and fill her thoughts – she refuses to listen. She senses that the Atherfrost is more than just a stone mountain – it's watching their every step and waiting.
Alden is the last to move, he remains silent at the bottom of the mountain. The ice doesn't touch him – his will is made of steel, and his body is in response of that. He breathes calmly, almost as though he is at his highest state of being in meditation. To him, he isn't just climbing the mountain – it's his punishment for his wrongdoings.
The climb is excruciating. The wind whispers doubts and faults of each individual in an attempt to back down.
"You are the epitome of your father's mistakes" it whispered to Xander.
"You're too young. Too soft. You believe too much" to grit to Thalia.
"Why did YOU survive?" it yelled to Alden.
There were three things that got the group to the top of the Atherfrost mountain: determination, teamwork, and acceptance.
Determination to prove themselves.
Teamwork to help each other get to that point.
Acceptance of whatever lies waiting at the top.
The group meet the mouth of the cavern at the top of the mountain, icicles hanging dangerously from the entranceway. The wind was now screeching, but as they enter the cavern there was stillness – an expecting, terrifying stillness.
The cavern contrasted with the outside of the mountain, it had a warm orange glow, and the temperature was cozy, hugging its visitors. Pillars dotted the space with etched sigils of all the elements, each separated into groups – earth, wind, fire, and water.
As they enter the centre of the cavern, they are met with a circular stone dais, surrounded by stone steps as though it were a well of worship. The dais had a sigil marked on it – the same one that marked Xanders arm.
The Ember pulses as they approach:
It flares gently in Xander's presence.
Thalia holds her hands to her chest.
Alden kneels silent before it.
Xander steps forward, it drew him in like a moth to a flame as he slowly reached his hand towards the Ember. It twitched slightly, as though almost reading him, before gracefully flowing into his embrace.
He closed his hands around the Ember, and in an instant felt everything – the agony of the earth as its magic is drained, the hunger of the shadows that lurk, and the raw power that burned beneath the skin of his hands.
Visions consumed him:
Cities rebuilt in light and fire. Fields dripping in gold in eternal summertime.
But also-
Mountains shattered into ash. Rivers of flame consuming cities.
A world reborn through destruction.
"Xander?" Thalia lightly touched his shoulder, an ecstatic shock zapping her hand causing her to still, "What do you see?"
Xander's eyes opened – filled with a swarm of orange and gold, as though the flame was swarming through him, "A choice." His whisper was hoarse, "Hope... or ruin."
Behind them. The Veilborn emerged from the shadows of the Cavern.
"You cannot save Eldryn!" Their leader hissed, "It must burn! Only through ash can it rise again!"
Alden unsheathed his sword from its hilt, holding it ready for attack.
Xander stood at the heart of the encounter, the Ember's weight burning in his hands
Restore the Eternal Flame... Or burn it to the ground.
Memories flooded Xander's mind:
The laughter as a child chasing fireflies through grassy hills.
The cosiness of a fireplace shared amongst other humans.
The stubborn hope that even dying embers could be rekindled.
He raised the ember high, "I choose life!" he cried and slammed them ember into the ground before him.
Light erupted outwards, blinding the Cavern, the mountains and the cities themselves. The Veilborn let out screeches as their skin became consumed by the tide of the pure flame.
The ice had melted.
The stone had cracked.
There was a wave of fresh air, new air, as the magic began to roar its way back into the earth's core.
When Xander woke, he was lying on the greenest grass he had ever seen. The planes caressed his skin as he lay, the smell a delight to his senses. Her had done it.
Thalia and Alden knelt beside him, Thalia's face stained with tears and snot, while Alden's face remained stoic except for the small crease between his eyebrows.
"You did it, Xander." Thalia said laughing, wiping away a tear, "You reignited the flame."
Alden said nothing but started at the new sunset, pained a new shade of orange and gold, a pallet that came with a new hope and reason.
A reason to push the limits.
A reason to smile every day.
Below them, Eldryn bloomed anew. Fields turned golden. Rivers ran clearer than ever before, and atop the Sunspire, the Eternal Flame blazed once more – only this time it was stronger, brighter, and eternal.
Xander touched his arm where his sigil once marked, except now, nothing was in its place. Now he felt something new.
Hope.
And as the world saw its first real dawn in many years, Xander knew that the future of Eldryn was safe and would persevere through nay challenges that may lay ahead.
Because even the smallest ember could light a new world.
THE END.