Chapter Eight: Mastering the Flame

Nightfall on the canyon brought the quiet crackle of the campfire. With the Sovereign Core's amulet in his shaking hands, Kael sat cross-legged. He was both fascinated and alarmed by the subtle pulse of its golden light, which he perceived as a heartbeat of strength.

Varik, holding his staff close by, remarked, "Kael, you're holding back." His tone was relentless, his grizzled visage half-lit by the fire. "The Core reacts to will rather than fear. You will become overwhelmed if you hesitate."

Kael looked at Aelira, who stood quietly off to the side, carefully sharpening her daggers. With a nod and a look of silent encouragement, she met his eyes.

On the defense, Kael said, "I'm not hesitating." This gadget doesn't feel like a tool, that's all. It has a sense of life. As if it were attempting to manipulate me.

Varik squatted before him, staring into Kael's piercing eyes. "In a way, it is alive. The echoes of its creators and all subsequent wielders are carried by it. Their aspirations are engraved into its force, and their voices reverberate. But keep in mind that it needs you to act. If you want to be the master, you are."

Kael's jaw tightened as he clenched his fists. Reaching inward toward the raging tempest of energy that swirled just beneath his skin, he closed his eyes. As if sensing his concentration, the Core's light flared stronger in response.

"Stay steady," Varik said. "Imagine it like a blaze in the shadows. Little, steady, and in control. Don't allow it to blow up too much."

As he concentrated, Kael's breathing became deeper. The whispers came again, faint, sneaky muttering that tore at the corners of his brain.

"Leave us to lead you," the voices said. "By yourself, you are not strong enough".

"No," Kael gritted his teeth and hissed. "You are not necessary to me." The amulet's golden light turned fiery as it started to shine more intensely. It emitted a slight heat that rippled through the air surrounding him. Kael briefly experienced a glimmer of control as the power yielded to his command.

The light then blazed wildly as the whispers became louder. Kael fell backward as the energy erupted into a tremendous inferno. The wind knocked out of his lungs when he hit the ground hard.

"Enough!" As Varik struck his staff into the ground, his voice could be heard. Before the energy could expand further, it was absorbed by a shimmering barrier of light. Aelira rushed to Kael's side as he moaned and sat up.

With weakness, he murmured, "I… I had it."

"You didn't," Varik stated plainly. "You allowed the Core to set the conditions. You must speak up for yourself."

Once more. Kael's eyes grew wide with shock. "You want me to continue? Following that? Varik's tone stayed hard, but his face softened a little. "Kael, it will take you a hundred failures before you succeed. However, each setback brings one step closer to mastery. Get up now."

The gang huddled around the fire, the night closing in around them, hours after Kael had tried everything and drained himself. Kael was clearly frustrated as he tended to his aching hands. The silence was broken by Aelira. She nodded toward the amulet and said

"So, what exactly is this thing?" "You keep claiming it's risky, but you haven't given any explanation."

Varik rested his head on a rock and looked thoughtfully. "The first Sovereign King created the Sovereign Core more than a millennium ago, and it is a remnant of unmatched power. In order to bring harmony to the divided elemental kingdoms, he created it as a unifying force. It did the trick for a while. Under his leadership, the kingdoms united and prospered."

Despite his fatigue, Kael looked up, fascinated. "What went wrong?"

With a bitter tone, Varik remarked, "The same thing that always changes." "The nature of humans. The Sovereign Core is not an exception to the rule that power corrupts. Its energy engulfed the King, and the murmurs of its former wielders distorted his psyche. He became despotic and paranoid, and ultimately, his rule ended in violence."

Aelira scowled. "And they lost the Core?"

Varik corrected, "Hidden." "Tucked away in a location that no one could discover." Their alliances were broken, and the kingdoms dispersed. And suddenly it has reappeared after all this time.

Gazing at the amulet on his lap, Kael gazed. "Why me? What made me think about it?

"The Core doesn't make decisions," Varik stated. "It locates. It looks for those who have the capacity to influence its power. However, it is up to the wielder whether such potential results in salvation or destruction."

Kael's hold on the amulet and became more firm. "What if I don't succeed? What if the I becomes like the Sovereign King?"

Varik's face became softer. "Only you, Kael, can decide that. However, you're not by yourself. Keep it in mind".

The three of them left the canyon early the next morning, their route taking them more into the wilderness. The forest was alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and chirping birds, and the air was clear. Varik's comments filled Kael's thoughts as he strolled in silence. He couldn't get rid of the sensation that he was treading a fine line, that the distinction between chaos and control was incredibly thin. The initial part of their journey went smoothly, but as the sun started to fall, the woodland became eerily quiet.

"There's a problem," Aelira stated quietly. Her dagger's hilt rested on her hand while her keen eyes scanned the darkness. With his staff glowing dimly, Varik came to a halt.

"They are observing us." They were surrounded by people that appeared out of the trees as if at the same moment. They wore dark armor with strange sigils, and they were human.

A towering man with sharp green eyes and scarred features, their commander, stepped forward. "Kael Tarren," the man remarked in a stern and icy tone. "The Sovereign Core is carried by you. If you give it up, we might let you survive.

Kael's heart pounded as he instinctively clutched the amulet. "Who are you?" "We are the Scions of Equilibrium," the man said. "Keepers of balance. The Core is too dangerous to remain in your hands—or anyone's hands. Hand it over, or face the consequences."

Kael glanced at Varik, who gave a slight shake of his head. Aelira's daggers were already in her hands, her stance ready for a fight.

"You're not getting it," Kael said, his voice steady despite his fear.

The man's eyes narrowed. "So be it."

Varik's staff glowed with arcane energy, deflecting arrows and blasts of magic. Kael found himself facing the leader, who advanced with a sword wreathed in crackling energy. The man's strikes were precise and relentless, forcing Kael to backpedal. "You can't even control what you're holding," the man sneered. "You are just too weak" The Scions attacked. The battle was swift and vicious.

Aelira moved like a shadow, her daggers flashing as she quickly take down two attackers in quick succession. The amulet's warmth seeped into Kael's chest as his hold tightened. He called forth the energy and allowed it to pour into his hand. A flash of fire exploded.

Kael whispered in fear "What is going on. I can't control it."

"Help, Help, Helpppp"