Wandering Noble Ashes Novels & Stories

She walked to the 4 stones. Luna’s. Hope’s. Little Moon’s. Hers. She touched each one. Then looked at the sky. 101,000 moons blinked back. Not gods. Not masters. Just light proving wolves existed. “I’m tired,” she whispered. Not to wolves. To the sky. “But I choose anyway. One more day.” Her moon pulsed. Bright pink. Then faded to soft silver. Asha died standing. Eyes open. Smiling. The wolves didn’t howl. They breathed. Together. 100,000 breaths making one sound.

Then, they transformed. Two massive wolves snarled and lunged, brawling in the ashes. Ash and soot clouded the air as the wolves clashed, fangs bared, fury unleashed. They didn’t stop until they were completely spent. Finally, they collapsed apart, panting, scorched and scraped. Jones slumped down, face ashen, despair written in every line on his face.

Ember pressed, her face illuminated by a flickering light panel overhead, casting her features in harsh relief. "The Ashen Guard." The name tasted like ash on my tongue. "Malagar's elite hunters. We tracked and captured fire-born creatures and anything else with power he wanted." My gaze flicked to Ember meaningfully. "People like you." The mark throbbed again, harder this time. I suppressed a grunt of pain and continued, words tumbling out like stones I'd been carrying too long.

Sadness. I glanced down at the letter still clutched in my hand, the paper fragile and crumpled from my grip. Slowly, I allowed a sliver of lightning to dance along its edges, watching as the parchment caught fire. The flames consumed the letter quickly, reducing it to ash in seconds, and I let the remains fall to the table in a blackened heap. Ashes. Just like everything else in this cursed palace. I stormed out of the throne room, my footsteps heavy and my thoughts darker than the night itself. The halls were quiet, too quiet, and every echo of my boots against the stone reminded me of how alone I truly was about to become.

Nina slightly confirmed my thoughts with a nod and opened the box, and I saw a kind of sand there, but it was of a golden hue, a mix of silver and a soft purple hue, a mix of these three colors that made the sand iridescent. "Achilles, I need you to step back." Nina explained. My companion gave me another soft kiss and did as asked. Nina raised her hand, and the sand followed its course, enveloping me, and I felt a strange pain as the sand penetrated my skin, and gradually I could hear the sound of bones breaking, and I screamed.

The crack blazed brighter than ever. For a long moment no one moved. The clearing was silent except for the hiss of the crack in the marker and the distant retreat of paws through underbrush. Mist drifted back in to fill the space where the pack had stood. Ava pulled herself upright against the stone. Her hands trembled. The silver glow had withdrawn into the token but left a faint shimmer under her skin, like moonlight trapped in her veins. She could still hear the echo of the whisper, softer now but insistent: Daughter of ash…

"But before that..." I walked to the door and looked back at Moira. "Are the traitors still alive?" She nodded. "Some of the elders escaped. They are gathering their remaining forces, preparing to take back control." "Good." I pushed open the heavy door, and a cold wind hit my face. "I have a score to settle with them." Outside was a strange valley, moonlight glinting on the snow. In the distance, I could see the lights of a village. "Where is this?"