Tamotsu ran until his legs burned. The grey wastes seemed endless. Then, he saw it: a cluster of rough stone huts surrounded by a high wall made of fused black rock. A village? Hope?
He hid behind a boulder near the village's only visible gate. Two guards stood there. Not Soulwardens or Burned Ones. Just men, but tough-looking. Their eyes scanned the ash like hawks.
"Okay," Tamotsu whispered to himself, shivering. The icy spot in his chest pulsed faintly. "How do I get past them? Maybe if I... walk slowly? Say I'm lost? But what if..."
"Lost, are you?" a voice asked behind him.
Tamotsu spun around, heart pounding. A group of five stood there. They hadn't made a sound.
[The Leader] A tall man wrapped in a flowing black cape, his face hidden by a smooth, dark mask. An aura of quiet power rolled off him like cold mist. Dangerous.
[Stone Master] Huge and broad, with skin like cracked granite. He stood perfectly still, arms crossed.
[Quick One] Lean and watchful, eyes darting everywhere. He held two short, curved blades loosely.
[The Girl] About Tamotsu's age, with sharp eyes and wild, dark hair tied back. She looked curious, not scared.
[The Flicker] Hard to look at. One second, a man in grey robes stood there. The next, he seemed like just ash swirling in the wind. Unsettling.
The masked leader tilted his head. "We felt the disturbance. Saw the flash of cold light. What happened back there, boy? His voice was calm but left no room for lies.
Tamotsu swallowed. Uh... soldiers? Shiny armor? And a big guy... with fire cracks? They were fighting. I ran.
The Quick One snorted. Soulwardens and a Forged. Obvious. Did you see the Soulwardens? Which way?
Towards... the big black spikes? Tamotsu guessed, pointing vaguely behind him. Bad excuse.
The Stone Man grunted. Vague.
The Girl stepped closer, peering at Tamotsu's chest. Why's your chest glowing blue? Like ice. Her gaze was intense.
Tamotsu instinctively covered the pulsing light with his hand. The cold surged under his palm. I... I don't know! It just... happened when I woke up here!
The Flickering One seemed to solidify slightly, his voice a dry whisper. He hides something. Fear. Confusion. And... cold power. Unfocused.
The masked leader raised a hand, silencing the others. And what, he asked, his voice like frozen silk, were you doing here, hiding behind this rock? Planning to stroll into Sanctuary? He nodded towards the guarded gate.
Tamotsu panicked. Think! "I... I was just looking! For shelter! It's cold! And... I saw the gate. Thought maybe... people? Weak.
The Quick One laughed sharply. Sanctuary doesn't take strays, kid. Especially not ones trailed by Soulwarden attention and glowing like a frost lamp.
The icy power in Tamotsu's chest flared suddenly, reacting to his fear and frustration. A shimmering blade of pure, crystalline ice, sharp and cold, snappedinto existence in his empty hand. He gasped, almost dropping it. The air around it frosted.
The Girl's eyes widened. "Whoa!"
The Stone Man shifted his stance, ready.
The Quick One's blades came up, wary.
The Flickering One murmured, Ah. That kind of power.
The masked leader went very still behind his mask.
He took one slow step towards Tamotsu. A death-gift, he stated, his voice holding new interest. "Manifesting so soon? Unusual. And ice... rarer still. He studied the trembling ice blade. Your excuses are terrible, boy. But that... that is interesting.
He looked past Tamotsu towards the guarded gate, then back at the icy weapon.
Perhaps, the leader said softly, you need better teachers than gate guards. Or worse prey than Soulwardens. What's your name,
Tamotsu gripped the freezing blade. It felt strangely solid. Real. His. "T-Tamotsu," he stammered.
The leader nodded once. Tamotsu. We have questions. And you, he gestured to the ice blade, clearly need answers. Come. The wastes are listening. He turned, his black cape swirling like smoke. The others followed, the Flickering One already half-vanished again. The Girl gave Tamotsu a last curious look before turning away.
Tamotsu stood frozen clutching his weapon of ice. Sanctuary's gate felt further away than ever. These powerful, scary people were his only lead. He looked at the glowing mark on his chest, then at the retreating figures.
He took a deep breath, let the ice blade vanish in a puff of frost, and followed the path into the ash.