Shadows of the Order

The storm rolled in before dawn.

Thunder cracked across the sky like the anger of ancient gods, and rain battered the forest floor as Eira knelt beside the unconscious body of Maerin.

She had wrapped the old healer in her cloak, whispering healing chants she barely remembered. But her power… it wasn't meant for mending. It was forged in destruction.

Caius paced nearby, soaked to the bone, eyes fixed on the treeline.

"They'll come back," he muttered. "The Order doesn't retreat forever."

Eira looked up sharply. "Tell me who they are."

Caius hesitated.

Then sighed. "The Order of the Flamebound. A secret council within the royal court. They don't serve the throne. They control it."

Her breath caught. "They're the ones who gave the command to burn me, weren't they?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "They feared your bloodline. Your mother's prophecies. They claimed you would bring chaos."

She laughed bitterly. "They were right. I will."

---

Later, in the ruined cottage

Maerin stirred.

Eira rushed to her side, gripping her wrinkled hand. "Maerin, it's me. Eira."

The old woman's eyes fluttered open. Clouded. Dim. But full of urgency.

"I knew it," she rasped. "I knew… you were never just a village girl."

Tears welled in Eira's eyes. "You knew?"

Maerin nodded. "The night you were found… I saw the flame mark on your shoulder. I kept it hidden. I protected you as best I could."

"You saved me."

"No, child," she said, coughing. "You saved me. You don't remember… but I served your mother. I was one of her Flame-Sworn."

Eira's heart skipped a beat.

"You were... part of her inner circle?"

"She was the true queen," Maerin whispered. "Before the usurper poisoned the bloodline. They hunted us all after your execution. I went into hiding. And I waited for the Phoenix to rise again."

Caius stepped forward. "Then the stories were true. All of them."

Maerin gripped Eira's hand tighter. "The Order controls the new king. They whisper lies into his ear. If you go to the capital… they'll try to kill you again."

Eira's jaw clenched. "Then let them try."

---

That Night — In the Royal Court of Thorne

King Aldric paced his chamber, fury simmering beneath his silken robes.

"The reports are confirmed?" he snapped.

A hooded figure bowed before him. "Yes, Your Majesty. The girl lives. The cursed queen has awakened."

The king turned to the man beside him — High Priest Malric, leader of the Order.

"You told me she was dead."

Malric's smile never faltered. "Death… is a temporary state. Rebirth was always a threat."

"She's just one girl."

"No," the priest said, his voice like cold steel. "She is the fire reborn. If she reaches the capital… your throne burns with her."

The king's eyes narrowed. "Then we stop her before she gets close. Double the bounty. Send assassins. I want her ashes in my hands."

Malric bowed. "As you command."

But deep in the shadows, unseen by all, something ancient stirred — something that had served Mira once… and would rise again.

---

Meanwhile — Back in the forest

Caius stood over the map of the kingdom, raindrops running off his armor. He traced the road toward the capital.

"There's a secret path," he said. "One only used by royal scouts. It'll take us through the Blackpine Mountains."

Eira stared at the map. "We're going to the palace?"

"We have to," he replied. "There's more than prophecy at stake now. If The Order is truly rising again, the kingdom itself is in danger."

Eira looked down at her hands — fire flickered under her skin.

She wasn't just a girl anymore.

She was a spark on dry wood. And the world was about to burn.