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Chapter Fourteen

Author: Barny
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-15 04:34:25

—UNKNOWN LOCATION IN AETHERIA—

The Veridian awoke with a gasp, his head pounding as consciousness returned to him. Damp soil pressed against his cheek, and the scent of moss and decaying leaves filled his nostrils. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, blinking rapidly as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

He was in a clearing. Tall trees formed a perfect circle around him, their branches reaching toward a night sky dotted with stars. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was—

"You've finally awakened. Good."

The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, echoing through the clearing yet somehow remaining quiet enough that it couldn't have been heard beyond the tree line.

The Veridian scrambled to his feet, spinning in place. "Master? What do you need from me?"

"Nothing," the voice replied. "Your services are no longer required. The situation has evolved beyond what someone of your capabilities can handle."

A chill ran down the Veridian's spine.

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  • Bound in Ash and Moonlight   Chapter Thirty-One

    —ELDORIA, AETHERIA—Eldoria's border shimmered like heat waves rising from sun-warmed stone, and the evening air carried a crisp bite.They came down from the horses and below them, the fae gates rose like crystalline spears from the earth, their surfaces reflecting the dying light in lights that hurt to look at directly."It's beautiful," she whispered, then immediately felt foolish for the reverence in her voice.Dante's expression remained impassive as he studied the approach to the gates. "Beauty is the fae's greatest weapon. Remember that."A line of travellers waited before the gates, in various clothes and of different species. Madeleine spotted several humans, what might have been elves based on their pointed ears and graceful movements, and creatures she couldn't readily identify. All were being questioned by tall, ethereal beings with luminescent skin and silver eyes that held too much knowledge."Veridians," Dante murmured, his voice carrying a note of distaste. "Truth-seek

  • Bound in Ash and Moonlight   Chapter Thirty

    —OUTSKIRTS OF ELDORIA, AETHERIA—The forest path to Eldoria stretched before them like an unfurling ribbon. Madeleine watched as Dante rode ahead, his tall frame silhouetted against the afternoon light filtering through the trees. They had been traveling for three days now, making their way eastward through territories she had never seen before.Dante had explained that while he could teleport them directly to Eldoria, the magical barriers surrounding the fae realm would require him to use magic that would be lethal to her. What he hadn't explained was why he seemed more tense with each passing mile."We'll rest the horses here," Dante announced, gesturing to a small clearing beside a stream. "We should reach the border by nightfall."Madeleine dismounted, her muscles aching from hours in the saddle. She watched as Dante tended to the horses with practiced ease, his movements fluid and precise. Everything he did carried the same efficiency. Precise. Controlled. No action wasted.After

  • Bound in Ash and Moonlight   Chapter Twenty-Nine

    —ELDORIA, AETHERIA—The Grand Council Chamber of Eldoria gleamed with an otherworldly radiance that no mortal craftsman could replicate. Walls of living crystal pulsed with soft blue and silver light, responding to the emotions of those gathered within. Massive windows of impossibly thin glass stretched from floor to ceiling, offering views of the ancient forest that surrounded the palace; trees with bark of silver and leaves that shimmered between emerald and sapphire depending on how the light struck them.At the centre of the chamber stood a circular table carved from a single massive piece of moonstone. Its surface rippled occasionally like disturbed water, reflecting not the faces of those seated around it, but fleeting images from across the realm—a visual representation of Eldoria's collective consciousness.King Sylvan Silverleaf sat motionless at the northern point of the table, his posture perfect and unchanging as only an immortal's could be. His features were sharp and ele

  • Bound in Ash and Moonlight   Chapter Twenty-Eight

    —DAWNSPIRE CASTLE, SUNSTONE PEAKS, AETHERIA—Madeleine made her way through the quiet corridors of the castle as dawn was beginning to break. Sleep had evaded her for most of the night, her mind restless with questions about Dante's visit to the Oracles and what secrets they might have revealed about her true nature.She found Dante in the main courtyard beside two saddled horses—one midnight black, the other a dappled grey. His tall figure was silhouetted against the rising sun, his features composed into their usual stoic expression."You're awake early," he observed as she approached."I couldn't sleep," Madeleine replied, stopping a few feet from him.Dante studied her for a moment before speaking. "I'm leaving for Eldoria this morning. I'd like you to accompany me."The unexpected invitation caught her by surprise. She knew of Eldoria, the land of the fae, but had never visited it herself."Eldoria? Why?" she asked, searching his face for clues."I have matters to attend to," Dan

  • Bound in Ash and Moonlight   Chapter Twenty-Seven

    —DAWNSPIRE CASTLE, SUNSTONE PEAKS, AETHERIA—It was evening by the time Dante returned to Dawnspire Castle. The towers gleamed in the moonlight as he materialized in the central courtyard, his mind still reeling from the Oracles' cryptic warnings. A cool breeze carried the scent of night-blooming flowers, but he barely noticed, lost in troubled thoughts."You're back."Dante turned to find Madeleine sitting on a stone bench beneath a flowering tree. She stood as he approached, her expression a mixture of relief and determination. The sword he had crafted for her hung at her side, the silver crystal pommel catching the light of the torches that lined the courtyard."How long have you been waiting?" he asked, noting the stubborn set of her jaw."Long enough," Madeleine replied. She stepped closer, her eyes searching his face. "What did the Oracles say? From Lysander's explanation, it must have been important for them to summon you like that."Dante hesitated. How could he explain what h

  • Bound in Ash and Moonlight   Chapter Twenty-Six

    —DAWNSPIRE CASTLE, SUNSTONE PEAKS, AETHERIA—Madeleine moved with growing confidence, her new sword almost singing as it cut through the air. Three days of practising with it had already improved her form dramatically.The blade gleamed in the morning light as she thrust forward, nearly catching him off guard.Dante stepped back, a flicker of approval in his golden eyes. "You're learning quickly."Madeleine couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Coming from Dante, this qualified as great praise."I have a good teacher," she replied, raising her sword in preparation for his next attack.Dante stilled suddenly, his head tilting slightly as if listening to something she couldn't hear. His expression shifted, brows drawing together in a slight frown.A small flame appeared in the air between them, startling Madeleine enough that she nearly dropped her sword. The flame expanded, forming the shape of a letter sealed with a symbol she didn't recognize—three intertwined circles. The

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