CHAPTER 201: A DANGEROUS PATH

The mountain road narrowed into a ragged stretch of dirt and stone as the carriage climbed closer to the Ironforge range.

The air grew thin, the smell of salt from the distant sea mixing with the sharp, metallic tang of rock and mountain pine. The cliffs to their right plunged into fog-shrouded depths where waves crashed far below, invisible but audible in low, rhythmic echoes.

The sound was almost calming. Until the ground gave way.

One wheel dipped first.

Just a fraction.

The other followed, and suddenly the weight of the carriage tipped sharply toward the ravine. The horses screamed, hooves scraping for stable ground as the wooden frame lurched. Vepice grabbed onto the bench, her knuckles white, while Kai stood instantly and jumped from the carriage.

Vepice looked at him with shock, but he wasn’t abandoning the carriage, or her.

His hands snapped out as his shadow magic roared to life.

Black tendrils whipped from his fingertips like living ropes. They arched over the carriage and horses before coiling around them.

At the same time, Kai poured strengthening magic into his legs and shoulders, his veins glowing faintly beneath his skin, Kai took struggled steps backwards slamming into the jagged stone on the opposite side of the road.

The shadows tightened, creaking against the strain, and with a final, grating jerk, the carriage tipped upright. The horses, wild-eyed and foaming, stumbled sideways to solid ground, while the shadows gripped them tightly.

Their panicked cries echoed into the cliffs below.

Kai tried his best not to dismember any of the horses by covering as much surface area as possible.

For a moment, there was almost silence, with the only sounds being the distant ocean and the rasp of Kai’s breathing.

Then the horses tried to bolt, their eyes rolling white. Even after nearly plummeting to their deaths, their terror of the shadows lingered, visceral and deep.

The shadows still rippled faintly around Kai, and the animals thrashed in their harnesses.

Kai cut off the magic immediately. The shadows sank back into him like water swirling down a drain, leaving behind only faint scorch-like marks on the stones. He walked slowly to the horses, speaking in low, measured tones.

"They’re not going to hurt you," he murmured, his hand brushing over their trembling necks. "You’re safe. The danger’s over."

It took nearly half an hour before the animals calmed enough to move again. By then, the sun had dipped low, painting the jagged mountainsides in hues of blood-red and shadow.

By the time the carriage reached the most western stretch of the Ironforge Mountains, the world felt quieter. The ocean stretched endlessly to the west, the waves below rolling in muted silver. The mountain peaks around them clawed toward the sky like the name implied, their jagged silhouettes giving the appearance of a massive hand stretching out to grasp the horizon.

They had made it. The furthest point west. Closest to the sea.

The air was cold. Kai’s body still hardly reacted to the cold, but he still felt it in his lungs.

He parked the carriage at the base of the largest rock formation—a cliff of black stone that jutted hundreds of feet into the sky like the spine of some ancient, sleeping titan. With slow, deliberate steps, he scaled it, his shadow magic latching onto cracks and ledges to help him climb. The climb wasn’t difficult, but it was steep, and every handhold sent loose pebbles tumbling down the cliff face.

At the summit, he sat cross-legged, his gaze locked on the horizon where the ocean met the sky.

Vepice followed partway before stopping near the base, tilting her head upward. "What are you doing up there?"

Kai didn’t glance down. "Watching."

"For what? The eclipse isn’t until tomorrow."

"I know," he said simply. His voice carried strangely in the open air, almost blending with the sound of the waves. "But when it happens... I want to see everything. Every shadow, every shape. There could be a path, or a door, or something buried under this rock that only shows itself when the sun’s gone."

Vepice blinked at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You’re really going to sit up there for a whole day?"

"I’m not sleeping until I know where to look," Kai said, his gaze unwavering. "Not when Ebonbrand’s resting place is finally within reach."

For a moment, she said nothing, just studying him. Then, with a shrug, she turned and walked toward a narrow stream that snaked from the mountains down toward the ocean. The water was cold but teeming with life, darting silver bodies flashing beneath the surface.

While Kai kept his vigil atop the stone, Vepice knelt by the stream, dipping her hands into the frigid current. She worked patiently, using nothing but her hands. Each jab was precise, and soon a small pile of fish rested on the bank beside her.

"She’s like a freaking bear." Kai muttered under his breath.

He watched her a while longer, while making sure to keep an eye on everything else. Even as it grew darker, he kept watch.

She glanced up at Kai now and then, his silhouette unmoving against the darkening sky.

For the first time in weeks, the air between them felt still. No fleeing, no fighting, no immediate threat. Just the mountain, the sea, and the endless stretch of sky.

Vepice was still by the stream, cleaning the fish she’d caught. The scent of salt and pine carried on the breeze.

Kai let out a slow breath. "Maybe I wouldn’t mind moving into the mountains when everything is over. A log cabin, far from people, and nothing to disturb our peace."

"Oh, is that so? A rather nice goal to have, I’d say."

Another voice joined his.

Smooth, deep, and disturbingly casual.

Kai’s entire body tensed. His hand shot instinctively to the dagger at his side, and his shadows coiled around him like startled serpents.

"Wha-"

"No need to be alarmed," the voice interrupted, calm and almost amused. "I just wanted to come check up on you."

Kai turned sharply.

A figure stood just a few feet away, as if he’d been there all along. Cladeus. The same god who had taken the shape of a ravine mimic to speak with him weeks ago. His form shimmered faintly, like heat ripples in the air, his humanoid outline clothed in robes of shifting black and deep green. His eyes, a pale silver, seemed to cut through everything they touched.

Kai straightened slowly, forcing his shadows to still. "What do you want this time?"

Cladeus tilted his head, regarding him like a curious insect. "A few things. First, to see how my favorite little mortal is faring. You’ve certainly been... busy." His gaze flicked briefly toward the distant horizon, as though he could see the smoking ruins of Ylthara from here. "And second, to ask you something rather important."

Kai’s grip tightened on his dagger. "Ask."

"I know about Elerin’s death." Cladeus’s tone was matter-of-fact, but a faint smile curved his lips. "And more importantly... I can feel her soul. Inside of you."

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "You want it."

"I do," Cladeus admitted, without a hint of hesitation. "The essence of a divine being is... precious. Even to us. You must understand why I’m asking. What does it feel like, Kai?" His eyes glinted. "To kill a divine? To take their soul and cage it inside yourself? Does it burn? Or is it intoxicating?"

Kai stared at him, his jaw tightening. "Neither. She’s mine. And I’m not giving her up."

There was no threat in his voice, but the shadows around him pulsed with silent warning.

Cladeus chuckled softly. "Fair enough. I expected as much. Still, I’ll make a polite request: don’t use it. Not yet. That soul, if unleashed, will draw attention you cannot afford right now. Let it rest inside you for the moment... and I’ll find something worth trading for it. Something far greater than you’d imagine."

Kai didn’t respond immediately, his gaze lingering on the god’s faintly distorted outline. Finally, he gave a short, curt nod. "Fine. But don’t mistake that for obedience."

Cladeus’s smile widened, but he didn’t press further. "Good. Then we understand each other."

With a flick of his hand, a rift in space tore open beside him, an oval of twisting void, its edges lined with faintly glowing runes that seemed older than the mountains themselves. Beyond it was nothing but darkness.

Cladeus stepped toward it, his form beginning to fade as he crossed the threshold. But before he disappeared entirely, his head popped back through the rift, his silver eyes glinting like moonlight.

"Oh, and Kai?" His voice softened, though it carried an edge of something more ominous. "Ebonbrand’s tomb... nasty place, that. Even for someone like you. Be careful where you step."

And with that, he was gone. The rift folded in on itself like paper, leaving only the cold wind and the whisper of waves far below.

Kai sat motionless for a long moment, the weight of Cladeus’s words settling like a stone in his chest. Only when Vepice’s voice drifted up from below, calling that the fish were ready, did he finally exhale and unclench his fists.

"Great," he muttered under his breath. "As if this wasn’t complicated enough already.