The distant hum of activity grew louder as they approached the small town nestled between the rolling hills. Smoke rose from chimneys into the crisp morning air, and the faint sound of voices carried on the breeze. Elysia pulled her cloak tightly around her, the faint glow of the mark hidden beneath its folds. Her marked hand tingled softly, guiding her toward the unknown.
Kaelen walked a step ahead, his sharp eyes taking in every detail of the town as they descended the hill. His movements were relaxed, but Elysia had learned by now that his ease was deceptive every step he took was deliberate, calculated.
"So," Kaelen said lightly, glancing over his shoulder at her, "think your magical mark is leading us to breakfast this time?"
Elysia rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched faintly. "It's leading us to answers I hope," she said, her tone firm. "Whether those answers include food remains to be seen."
Kaelen smirked. "I'll take what I can get."
As they entered the town, the buzz of life enveloped them. Merchants called out from their stalls, advertising fresh produce and handmade goods. Children darted between the narrow streets, their laughter ringing out in stark contrast to the tension that lingered in Elysia's chest. She kept her hood low, her gaze scanning the faces around her for any sign of familiarity or danger.
"You know the drill," Kaelen murmured, his voice low as they moved toward the heart of the town. "Act curious. Blend in. Don't give them a reason to notice you."
Elysia nodded, her marked hand burning faintly beneath her glove. "I've got it," she said. "Let's just... be careful."
Their first stop was a bustling market square, its stalls overflowing with goods. Kaelen approached a vendor selling dried herbs and spices, his tone casual as he struck up a conversation.
"Busy day," he remarked, gesturing to the crowd around them.
The vendor, a wiry man with sharp features, nodded. "Always is this time of year," he said. "The harvest keeps us running."
Kaelen leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Ever get any interesting visitors passing through?
The vendor hesitated, his gaze flickering to Kaelen with a mix of curiosity and caution. "We get all sorts," he said slowly. "Why do you ask?"
Kaelen shrugged, his smirk widening. "Just curious," he said. "The best stories come from the strangest places, don't you think?"
The vendor chuckled softly, his shoulders relaxing. "You're not wrong," he admitted. "Though I'd be careful about poking your nose where it doesn't belong. Some stories are better left untold."
Kaelen's expression didn't waver, but Elysia caught the flicker of tension in his posture. She stepped closer, her voice light and unassuming. "What kind of stories?" she asked, tilting her head in feigned curiosity.
The vendor glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "The kind that get people in trouble," he said simply. "If you're smart, you'll stick to tales of heroes and leave the rest be."
As they moved away from the market, Kaelen let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "That was subtle," he said dryly.
Elysia shot him a glare. "He didn't tell us anything," she said, her frustration evident.
Kaelen smirked. "Not yet," he said. "But people like him they always know more than they let on. We just need the right leverage."
Elysia sighed, her marked hand tingling faintly. "Then we keep looking," she said. "There has to be someone here who knows more."
Their search led them to a modest inn on the edge of town. The common room was warm and inviting, its wooden beams glowing softly in the light of the fire. Kaelen ordered two ales, sliding one across the table to Elysia as they settled into a quiet corner.
"People talk when they're relaxed," Kaelen said, taking a sip. "We'll listen."
Elysia nodded, her gaze sweeping the room. The mark on her palm pulsed faintly, its energy grounding her as she focused on the conversations around them. The hum of voices was steady, punctuated by the clink of mugs and the crackle of the fire.
It wasn't long before a snippet of a conversation caught her attention.
"...cursed, they said. Marked by shadow. Brought nothing but trouble."
Elysia's heart quickened. She glanced at Kaelen, who raised an eyebrow in silent acknowledgment. Together, they shifted their focus to the table nearby, where a group of farmers were deep in conversation.
"He came through here, didn't he?" one of them asked, his voice low.
The other man nodded, his expression grim. "A few years back," he said. "Didn't stay long, but we knew something was off about him. The way he carried himself... like he was running from something."
Elysia's chest tightened, her mind racing. The farmers' voices dropped lower, their words growing harder to hear. Kaelen leaned in slightly, his smirk replaced by a look of quiet focus.
"They said he betrayed the realm," the first man continued. "Made a deal with... something unnatural. Whatever it was, it left a stain on him and anyone who crossed his path."
The second man shook his head, his tone bitter. "People like that don't deserve sympathy," he said. "They bring nothing but ruin."
Elysia's grip tightened on her mug, her knuckles white. The mark on her palm flared briefly, its energy sharp and insistent. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.
Kaelen placed a hand on her arm, his touch grounding. "Easy," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "We're here to listen, not to fight."
Elysia nodded, her resolve firming. The path ahead was clearer now, though the truth remained elusive. They had taken the first step but the journey to uncovering the shadowed truth of her brother's branding was far from over.
The warm glow of the inn's common room cast long shadows over the wooden floor as Elysia and Kaelen moved to a quieter corner. The hum of voices and laughter surrounded them, blending into a comforting but distracting backdrop. Elysia tugged her hood lower over her face, her marked hand resting lightly on the table as her thoughts raced.
The farmers' conversation had given them a glimpse of the story surrounding Elric, but it wasn't enough. They needed more details, names, anything that could help them piece together the truth. The mark on her palm tingled faintly, urging her forward, even as doubt lingered in her mind.
Kaelen leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes scanning the room. "We'll need a different approach," he said, his tone low. "No one's going to hand us the truth if we're not smart about it."
Elysia nodded, her fingers brushing over the edge of the table. "People talk when they don't think you're listening," she said softly. "We just have to ask the right questions."
Kaelen smirked faintly. "Careful, Princess," he said. "You're starting to sound like me." " You wish ".Elysia added
They split up to cover more ground, each adopting a casual demeanor as they moved among the patrons. Elysia approached the barkeep again, her tone light as she struck up a conversation.
"It's a lively place," she remarked, glancing around the room. "I imagine you hear all sorts of stories here."
The barkeep chuckled, his sharp gaze flicking to her. "That I do," he said. "Most of them are nonsense, mind you. Drunks love to make up tales."
Elysia smiled faintly, her marked hand hidden beneath the folds of her cloak. "I'm curious," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Have you ever heard about the cursed? People tied to shadow, or anything like that?"
The barkeep's expression darkened slightly, his hands stilling on the counter. "That's a dangerous topic," he said quietly. "Best not to go digging into things you don't understand."
Elysia feigned an air of innocence, her voice steady. "Oh, I didn't mean to pry," she said quickly. "I just heard someone mention it earlier and thought it sounded... interesting."
The barkeep sighed, his gaze dropping to the mug in his hands. "You're not from around here, are you?" he asked.
Elysia shook her head. "Just passing through," she said. "Why?"
The barkeep hesitated, his grip tightening on the mug. "Let's just say the cursed don't bring anything but trouble," he said finally. "People like that... they're better left forgotten."
Meanwhile, Kaelen had joined a group of traveling merchants at a nearby table, his tone easy and unassuming as he joined their conversation.
"Strange place, this town," he said casually, taking a sip of ale. "Seems like the kind of place with a lot of history."
One of the merchants, a middle-aged man with a weathered face, nodded. "You're not wrong," he said. "Plenty of stories around here. Some of them you wouldn't believe."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Try me," he said. "I've heard my fair share of unbelievable tales."
The merchant chuckled, leaning closer. "Ever hear about the shadowed one?" he asked, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
Kaelen's smirk didn't falter, though his interest sharpened. "Can't say I have," he said. "What's the story?"
The merchant glanced around the room, lowering his voice further. "They say he came through here once," he said. "A man marked by shadow. Brought ruin wherever he went. Some say he betrayed the realm; others say he was cursed. Either way, trouble followed him."
Kaelen frowned slightly, his sharp gaze narrowing. "And what happened to him?"
The merchant shook his head. "Disappeared," he said. "But his name still haunts this place. People here don't like to talk about him."
Elysia and Kaelen regrouped at their table, their expressions reflecting the weight of what they'd learned. The pieces of the story were starting to come together, but gaps remained gaps that gnawed at Elysia's thoughts.
"They're afraid of him," Elysia said quietly, her marked hand pulsing faintly. "But they don't even know why."
Kaelen nodded, his tone thoughtful. "Fear doesn't need logic," he said. "It just needs a target."
Elysia's chest tightened, the weight of the prophecy pressing heavily on her. The mark's glow was steady, a quiet reminder of her bond to Elric and the truth she needed to uncover.
"We're not done here," she said firmly. "There's more to this story. We just have to find it."
Kaelen smirked faintly, his sharp eyes glinting. "Then let's keep digging," he said. "It's what we're best at."
The streets of the town were quiet, the faint glow of lanterns barely piercing the dense shadows that crept along the narrow paths. Elysia's hood stayed firmly in place, her face hidden as she and Kaelen made their way through the quiet market square. The mark on her palm remained still and silent, its usual pulsing guidance absent. Without it, the weight of the whispers and half-truths they had gathered felt even heavier.
Kaelen kept his steps deliberate and light, his sharp gaze flicking to every shadow that seemed to shift in the corners of the square. "We're drawing too much attention," he muttered under his breath, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword. "It's time to move on before someone decides to take a closer look."
Elysia nodded, though her thoughts were elsewhere. The threads of Elric's story they had managed to unravel refused to weave into something whole. The fragmented tales of fear and betrayal left too much unsaid, and the mark's silence did little to quell her growing frustration.
But before she could voice her doubts, a figure stepped into their path.
The girl stood with a confidence that belied her youth, her head tilted slightly as she regarded Elysia and Kaelen with a sharp, piercing gaze. Her cloak shifted softly in the faint breeze, the dim light of the nearest lantern catching the curve of her lips as they quirked into a faint smile.
"I've been hearing about you," the girl said softly, her tone casual but laced with something that sent a chill down Elysia's spine. "Asking questions, speaking to people you shouldn't be. It's made you... hard to miss."
Kaelen stepped forward, his sword halfway drawn as he placed himself between Elysia and the girl. "Step aside," he said sharply. "We're just passing through."
The girl's gaze flicked to Kaelen briefly before returning to Elysia. She ignored his words entirely. "What are you looking for?" she asked, her question directed at Elysia. "What is it you think you'll find?"
Elysia's heart raced, her marked hand clenching into a fist beneath the folds of her cloak. "I don't know what you mean," she said evenly, her voice steady despite the tension in her chest.
The girl's faint smile widened, her piercing gaze unwavering. "Oh, I think you do," she said. With a sudden, swift motion, she reached out and grabbed the edge of Elysia's cloak.
Elysia tried to pull back, but the girl was faster. The fabric slipped away, and Elysia's hood fell back, her face exposed to the dim light. Kaelen's sword was fully drawn now, his stance protective as he stepped forward.
"Stay back," he warned, his tone dangerous.
The girl raised her free hand in a gesture of peace, her expression calm but unreadable. "There's no need for that," she said softly. Her gaze locked onto Elysia's, her tone dropping to something almost conspiratorial. "You don't belong here. And yet, here you are, digging into things you shouldn't."
Elysia's breath caught, the girl's words pressing heavily on her chest. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice low and tense.
The girl tilted her head, her faint smile never faltering. "What I want doesn't matter," she said cryptically. "What matters is what you'll do next. People like you always make the wrong choice."
Kaelen stepped between them again, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Enough," he said. "Let's go, Elysia."
But the girl's voice stopped them both as they turned to leave.
"Be careful, child of light," she said, her tone soft but biting. "The shadows have a way of swallowing those who stray too far."
Elysia froze, her marked hand tingling faintly beneath her glove. The girl's words echoed in her mind, their meaning as unclear as the expression on her face.