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Aetheris Chapter 5
Chapter 5: The Veil of the Forgotten
The morning air was crisp, yet beneath the cool wind, a frustrating heat simmered in Elara’s chest.
She stood near the edge of the abandoned excavation, arms crossed, her mind tangled in conflicting thoughts.
Could she use Geomancy to find the real entrance?
Earth magic was ancient—the ability to commune with the land itself, to feel its shape, its secrets hidden beneath the surface. But she had only ever learned the basics.
She had read about advanced geomancers who could shift stone with a thought, but her knowledge barely scratched the surface.
An invisible veil...
If something was concealing the true entrance, then surely other scholars and magicians had attempted to unravel the mystery before.
Had they failed? Or had they simply been led astray?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became.
With a quiet curse, she kicked a small pebble near her boot, sending it bouncing down the loose dirt.
Behind her, Rhyke let out a deep chuckle, shaking his head as he finished tying the ropes and adjusting the horses’ feed bags.
"You know," he said, amusement in his voice, "whether you find it or not, you still need to pay me."
Elara turned, narrowing her eyes.
"Just wait, old man." She crossed her arms. "Or maybe I just won’t pay you at all."
Rhyke smirked. "Try that, and I’ll sell you to some backwater noble who collects scholars."
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the slight smirk tugging at her lips.
Her humor faded, however, as her thoughts drifted to something else.
The Presence in the Night
She had felt something following her.
Back when she had camped alone, days before reaching Havenmoore, she had sensed an animosity lingering at the edge of her awareness.
Not quite a presence. Not quite a threat.
But something watching.
She had wondered if it was merely a trick of exhaustion, but now… she wasn’t so sure.
Was it guiding her? Testing her resolve? Or was it simply toying with her, waiting to see if she would fail before striking?
A slow chill crawled down her spine.
If it truly wanted to stop her, it could have done so already.
So why linger?
And more importantly…
Could she call it back?
The Ritual of...
The morning air was crisp, yet beneath the cool wind, a frustrating heat simmered in Elara’s chest.
She stood near the edge of the abandoned excavation, arms crossed, her mind tangled in conflicting thoughts.
Could she use Geomancy to find the real entrance?
Earth magic was ancient—the ability to commune with the land itself, to feel its shape, its secrets hidden beneath the surface. But she had only ever learned the basics.
She had read about advanced geomancers who could shift stone with a thought, but her knowledge barely scratched the surface.
An invisible veil...
If something was concealing the true entrance, then surely other scholars and magicians had attempted to unravel the mystery before.
Had they failed? Or had they simply been led astray?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became.
With a quiet curse, she kicked a small pebble near her boot, sending it bouncing down the loose dirt.
Behind her, Rhyke let out a deep chuckle, shaking his head as he finished tying the ropes and adjusting the horses’ feed bags.
"You know," he said, amusement in his voice, "whether you find it or not, you still need to pay me."
Elara turned, narrowing her eyes.
"Just wait, old man." She crossed her arms. "Or maybe I just won’t pay you at all."
Rhyke smirked. "Try that, and I’ll sell you to some backwater noble who collects scholars."
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the slight smirk tugging at her lips.
Her humor faded, however, as her thoughts drifted to something else.
The Presence in the Night
She had felt something following her.
Back when she had camped alone, days before reaching Havenmoore, she had sensed an animosity lingering at the edge of her awareness.
Not quite a presence. Not quite a threat.
But something watching.
She had wondered if it was merely a trick of exhaustion, but now… she wasn’t so sure.
Was it guiding her? Testing her resolve? Or was it simply toying with her, waiting to see if she would fail before striking?
A slow chill crawled down her spine.
If it truly wanted to stop her, it could have done so already.
So why linger?
And more importantly…
Could she call it back?
The Ritual of...
