Ember Path
It cares not for your glory. It cares not for honor. It cares not for the mighty, nor does it care for your bravado. Showered in wealth and gold, of knowledge and power, it will burn away all who walk with hands held to sword and bow. Walk to me with hands unburdened, and the flame may warm you once more. Tarry not for length in the dark, away from the fire in the hearth, for the cold to seek into your bones. For time is not bearing, one only need walk back to the path once more. -Mother Afjie, when saying goodbye to Neaves Emberwing at the start of her journey.
It wasn't so long ago, yet I've nearly forgotten her face. We had been flying for weeks now, over the war-torn countries below us. The children and the old, they needed to rest now matter how much we wanted to keep pace. There was no returning; the humans had taken over the valley, and we would never be safe there as long as their war raged like a wildfire. I had told her I would miss her, yet that desire to have her home only turned to bitter resentment as time marched on.
Then only to find that Pyria had left to follow her, it left too much to Erlin and myself. Far too much for Father Arwan and Mother Afjie. They could never have hoped to pull the village together like this. Then, just when I was about to forgive her, she sends that damnable letter. That was it, one sentence. No, nothing, no telling how she was faring, no expression of guilt for her actions, no word of abandoning us all to a fate we knew nothing of.
"Flee the village, they are all in danger, take them all with you." That was it, only her name written at the bottom. Mother Afjie took far too much time telling us why she had left. Even longer to tell us that she already knew the danger she spoke of. Fire trailed behind me as my anger only grew the longer I thought of it.
"Ryhs" Father Arwan spoke over the rush of air. "We need to land for the night; we are too visible in the dark sky." Sighing a trail of steam, I brought the clan down to a clearing in a harbor. Vacant for decades by the looks of it, shipwrecks and rotting docks the only adorning the dilapidated shoreline. Only Mother Afjie sat with me as usual, preaching her nightly prayers to me, though they seemed different than the usual. Kinder, softer.
We found that village she spoke of after a few more days of our agonizingly slow flight. Figuring I would have been able to get here in no more than four days had I not had to stay with the clan as honor had bound me to. I expected to see Neaves and Pyria immediately at these gates, high towering stone towers made of that odd blue sandstone that was all too common here. No, I was met with one of Goblins of the Skullbrood Clan, he spoke our tongue, a fact I was grateful for. Ghet had explained, as a small army of Dwarves and other Goblins came to assist us with settling into the village, that we were expected. That Neaves had quite the personal journey to convince them to let an entire community within their walls.
I couldn't stop myself; I don't even know why I was bothering to ask. "Where is she? Is she safe?" That old man only cocked his head as a grin slid across his face. Telling me she was safe with their Chief and Priestess. He led me to another building that was built into the cliffside. It took me even longer to realize they were built from the caves that dotted the coast. I didn't realize it, but I was being treated as the de facto leader of my people, not Mother Afjie or Arwan. Shouldn't have overstepped my position, then again, what was The Shrine Guard now anyway? The village surely had been destroyed by now on those humans battlefield, what was there left to protect?
Ghet opened a door for me, letting me into a small but comfortable room. The sound of a baby crying caught my attention as the old man shut the door. Swinging my head back to the room, an all too familiar voice spoke. "Would you like to meet my son? Look, Aylt, this is Uncle Ryhs!" Pyria cooed sweetly to the small boy in her arms as she rose from her chair.
My heart melted as it clicked into place. She ran away. When she followed Neaves, she was... "Pyria," Was all I could manage as she handed me her child, eyes just barely open, his wings still wet and unfolded. The little boy curled his hand around my finger as I took him.
"Still as eloquent as ever, Brother Ryhs." She touched my shoulder as she walked past me, following her, she told me why she left. She was scared, scared of the retribution that the clan might give her as an Ember with a child. Yet, she was fearless here, her story making my own anger feel foolish after all that had happened. Couldn't rightly argue her logic either; I only wondered if Afjie actually knew. The village knew the boy was sweet on her, but no one ever thought...
The cave built building gave way to the soft sand that adorned the beach like lace, comfortable, familiar under my feet. "Where are we going?" I asked as her child closed his eyes while sleeping softly in my arms. Keeping my voice low so as not to wake the babe.
"Oh, if you'd only open your eyes, you'd see already." She said with that sorely missed wit. The smile split my face as she spoke, not realizing how much I had missed her. She took the kid from my arms with a grace I didn't know she possessed. Then again, a lot had happened, true. Putting a finger to my chin and cheek, she raised my head to point out one of the rocks in the bay. Two figures sat a top the thing, one diminutive thing next to those wings splayed out catching the breeze off the sea.
I didn't need to be told who it was, as my anger flared again. "Go, Rhys, that is the Chief of this blossoming city, as well as Her. Neither of them has been told yet that the clan is here, nor you, for that matter."
Turning to her, but only seeing her back shrinking away from me before I could even finish the question. "How do you kno..." Shaking my head, turning back to two. My legs moved without me telling them to, the cold water against my skin keeping my temper down as I neared. That rock taking up more of the skyline, I watched them more closely now. Snaps of power pulled my attention to the small one, as Neaves streamed far more pinpoint fire at it than I had ever seen her do.
The rock, taking up nearly everything in my eyes as they stopped. Though I couldn't hear them, I knew it. Neaves didn't spot me at all, her wings visible to me the entire time, back to the coast. Ascending the crudely chiseled steps, despite the surf, the rock was warm under my feet. My head peeked above the top of the stone as I saw first the Chief of this village. A young woman, eyes like piercing amethysts, her long braid scraping the stone at her feet. She greeted me with a wordless smile as something launched at me.
"Ryhs!" Her wild red hair filled my vision as I tumbled backward onto the stone. Just like that, my fury died. Wrapping my arms around her, suddenly realized it was never anger I felt. "Welcome home, Ember."
Observance
All the Shrine Guard are Embers, the path simply speaks to the faith they hold in not only their goddess, but in each other. In the end, the fires we light along the way, are the smiling faces that greet us when we return. In their words, fire can burn both bridges and relationships, yet it can also light the dark and warm a cold soul.
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