After escaping the
churning waters of the High Fractures, Kain and Lirien scaled a steep cliff,
guided by the restless glow of the Ruby, until the path opened onto a small,
battered village. The Village of Shadows was a cluster of simple wooden and
black stone houses, many with crooked roofs or walls cracked from brutal blows.
Torn nets swayed in the salty wind, and debris—broken barrels, a snapped spear,
scattered ashes—marked the damp ground. Only a few gaunt villagers moved among
the ruins, their faces heavy with anger and exhaustion. The village endured,
but it bore the scars of a recent attack.
Kain and Lirien emerged
from the path, their boots splashing in the wet earth. The Ruby in Kain's
pocket pulsed hot, and he kept his hand near it, his alert brown eyes scanning
the scene. Lirien, her blonde hair plastered to her face, watched warily, hands
on her torn tunic. A burly man with a grizzled beard and a gray tunic ripped at
the shoulder stepped out of a larger house, a short axe in hand, its blade
stained with rust. "Who are you?" he growled, his eyes flashing fury. "More of
Yariv's lackeys come to pick through our ashes? Get out!" He advanced, axe
raised, and other villagers—a woman with tied-back hair and two thin men—joined
him, their gazes hostile.
Kain raised his hands, a
crooked grin on his lips. "Easy, beardy. We're not with anyone. A storm threw
us into the High Fractures, and the sea nearly swallowed us. I'm Kain, this is
Lirien. No map, no clue where we landed." He slapped his soaked tunic, dripping
cold water. "If this Yariv leaves villages like this, we're not his pals."
Lirien stepped forward,
hands open. "We didn't come by choice," she said, her voice steady but calm.
"The High Fractures brought us here. You were attacked by Yariv, weren't you?
His symbol—a curve with a slash through it—is burned into your house." She pointed
to the leader's home, where the blackened design scarred the wood, its edges
charred in the dim light.
The man snorted, axe still
raised. "Attacked? He razed us. Yariv came for relics—jewels we've guarded for
generations. His pirates burned our homes, took my daughter, Selya, as a
hostage to force us to give them up. I heard her screams as they dragged her to
the cliffs. They left that symbol as a warning." He spat on the ground, the
spittle mixing with the dust. "I'm Gavren, leader of what's left. Prove you're
not his. Words mean nothing after this."
An older man emerged from
the shadows, broad-shouldered but stooped, scars crisscrossing his face like
maps. He limped, leaning on a gnarled cane, but his gray eyes gleamed with
authority. "I know Yariv," he said, his deep voice cutting the air. "Fought for
him before I deserted. I'm Gorm. He hunts Oceanic Jewels—Sapphire, Ruby, Rough
Diamond—and lesser relics that amplify them. That symbol's old, from High
Fractures legends, a seal of something he wants to awaken." He paused, eyes on
Kain. "You… I know you. A little thief who lifted a coin pouch off me in a port
years ago. Light fingers, huh?"
Kain frowned, but the Ruby
flared hot, and he pulled it out, its red glow bursting in the faint light.
"Maybe I nabbed some coins," he admitted, tone dry. "But this is bigger than
your pockets, old man." The villagers stepped back, Gavren gripping his axe
tighter, but Gorm raised a hand, eyes on the Ruby. In the debris near Gavren's
house, a small golden pendant glowed faintly, as if called. "What the hell is
this?" Kain muttered, clutching the Ruby tight.
Gorm advanced, his cane
tapping the earth. "An Oceanic Jewel. Yariv would kill for it. But you're not
him—he takes, doesn't let it shine." He traced a five-meter line in the dirt.
"Prove you're more than a thief. Face me. Step off the line, you lose. Use your
stone—I'll show you what it demands."
Kain laughed, light but
sharp. "An old man with a cane wants a fight? My day's getting interesting." He
pocketed the Ruby for a moment, flexing his shoulders. Lirien crossed her arms,
a teasing smile on her lips. "Don't break your face, hero. He knows more about
that stubborn stone than you."
Gorm dropped his cane and
drew a short knife, its worn blade still sharp. "Let's see," he said, planting
his feet. Kain lunged, aiming a punch at Gorm's shoulder. The ex-warrior dodged
with a quick spin, the knife grazing Kain's tunic. "Slow," Gorm grunted,
striking Kain's arm with the hilt, making him stumble back with a curse. Kain
grabbed the Ruby, its glow pulsing, power surging through his legs. He darted
at super speed, boots kicking up dust, circling Gorm. Gorm anticipated it,
ducking and swinging the knife in a low arc. Kain leapt, but his right foot
crossed the line for a second. Gorm surged forward, the knife stopping a hair
from Kain's throat, his eyes cold. "Off the line. You lose."
Kain froze, the Ruby hot
in his hand, chest heaving. "Damn it," he grumbled, stepping back as Gorm
sheathed the knife. Gorm pointed at the Ruby. "That Jewel demands control.
Yariv nearly died learning that with the Sapphire. You're a thief, but not
cruel like him. That's why I let you live." He glanced at Lirien. "And she
keeps you in line."
Lirien chuckled softly,
giving Kain a light slap on the arm. "I told you you're dumb sometimes. He's
right—that stone's no toy." Her eyes were serious despite the light tone. "If
Yariv wants it, we need to know more. What's he planning?"
Before Gorm could answer,
a shout pierced the air. "Pirates!" The woman with tied-back hair pointed to
the cliffs, where dark figures rappelled down fast, ropes swinging against the
rocks. A dry boom shook the ground, a thunder without lightning, and waves
crashed against the edge below, splashing saltwater into the village. Ten
pirates emerged, armed with knives and harpoons, Yariv's symbol tattooed on
their arms.
Kain cursed, the Ruby
flaring bright. The faceted sword formed in his hand, and he shot forward with
super speed, slashing the pirates' ropes with a red flash. The lines fell to
the dirt, and he raced to the debris, yanking the golden pendant from the broken
wood, its glow merging with the Ruby's. A pirate laughed, raising a harpoon,
but Gorm was faster, his knife dropping the man with a precise strike. "Focus,
thief!" Gorm growled, spinning to hit another with his cane.
Lirien grabbed a broken
spear from the wreckage, blocking a knife strike and shoving the pirate back
with a kick. "Kain, get up!" she shouted, as Gavren roared, his axe slicing the
air and felling an enemy. The villagers fought with sticks and stones, but the
pirates pressed forward with hoarse yells. Kain swung his sword, hitting a
pirate in the shoulder, the power faltering mid-strike. "Damn stone!" he
snarled, heart racing.
Gorm fought like an old wolf, his knife dancing between two pirates, dropping them with swift moves.
"Tashkivor's seal guides them!" he yelled to Kain. "Yariv wants to wake her—the
Jewels and relics are the key!" A tall pirate with a scarred face lunged at
Kain, knife aimed at his chest. Lirien threw her spear, hitting the man's
shoulder, and Kain kicked his legs out, toppling him.
The waves swelled, the
thunder echoing louder, and the pirates suddenly retreated, climbing the
severed ropes as water lapped at the houses. "They know it's not over," Gorm
said, breathing hard, sheathing his knife. Atop the cliffs, a hooded figure
appeared briefly, watching the chaos before vanishing into the dim light.
Gavren dropped his axe,
eyes fixed on the disappearing ropes. "Selya…" he murmured, voice trembling as
he fell to his knees in the mud, tears cutting through the grime on his face.
"I heard her screaming that night… and now they've come again!" He lurched up,
grabbing his axe and charging for the cliffs. "I'm going after them! I'll get
my daughter!"
Kain ran after him,
seizing Gavren's arm with force, the Ruby still warm in his other hand. "You
want to die, beardy?" he said, sarcasm sharp but his brown eyes serious. "Stay
here. Lirien and I will get your daughter back. These idiots don't know who they're
messing with." Gavren resisted for a moment, chest heaving, but collapsed back
into the dirt, fists pounding the mud as he sobbed.
Lirien approached, spear
still in hand, her green eyes fixed on the cliffs. "He's right, Gavren. We'll
bring her back." Kain pocketed the Ruby, the golden pendant secure beside it,
and exchanged a look with her. The Village of Shadows fell behind, but the
weight of what lay ahead grew heavier.