In the Neverending Dark
14th of Glade, Year 124 of the Age of Steel
The mist hung low and thick in the heart of the forest, cloaking the small camp in an eerie shroud. The fire flickered weakly, casting long, wavering shadows that seemed to dance with a life of their own.
Since sundown, Zorich had been acting strangely. The avialae’s gaze would often linger on Yeva just a moment too long. There was no malice in it, but it was unsettling nevertheless. The man had always been a cheerful figure since the moment he had met the Seer, but that night he was quiet. Gone was the exuberant energy that had always seemed to be bursting through his veins. The long brooding silences they now shared would set anyone on edge.
That night if Yeva tried to lay down and rest, sleep eluded her. Every time she began to drift off, she would be jolted awake by the sound of rustling leaves or the sensation of a cold chill trailing down her spine.
It would be difficult to tell how late it was, but the scarlet moon was hanging high in the sky - all by its lonesome.
Without warning, Zorich stood up. He would simply wait until Yeva turned her attention to him and say, “We need to go.” His gray eyes were unfocused, and he began walking toward the darkness, his dark blue wings whispering softly behind him.
Towards the southeast, above the trees, the outline of a ruined building emerged, its dark silhouette stark against the night sky. It hadn't been there earlier that afternoon. The building seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, its crumbling walls and shattered windows exuding an unnerving aura. Zorich was heading exactly in that direction.
It was only a day ago that the avialae had explicitly pointed out that the nearest village was due north and the plan was to make their way there. Where the man was heading now, it was the complete opposite.
Zorich abruptly paused and turned to look at Yeva, straight into her brown eyes. “You need to come. Please.”