Karrion's words fell like a heavy hammer striking cold stone—a brutal echo reverberating through the silent ruins.
Star-blood.
Raine felt his heart clench as though gripped by iron fingers. The air thickened around him, the sickly-sweet stench of the Blight Forest pressing into his nostrils, mingling with the dwarf's tragic vow and the sudden chill of Karrion's request.
He wavered, dizziness sweeping over him—not only from the weight of Karrion's demand, but from the relentless exhaustion gnawing at his core. Ever since entering this accursed woodland, every flicker of his precognitive gift, every inadvertent pulse of star-light, had torn fresh wounds in his fragile frame. The backlash of that power lurked beneath his skin, coiling like a venomous serpent.
Now, Karrion sought to harvest his blood—not just a few drops, but the kind of life-essence needed to forge a legendary weapon.
Raine's eyes found Thalia in the shadows. The sorceress stood half-hidden beneath her cloak's deep hood, lips set in a stern line, one pale hand pressed over the spot on her chest that Raine had come to dread seeing touched. A coldness emanated from her—far colder than any mortal chill—and he thought he detected a faint tremor in her posture.
"My blood…" he croaked, throat raw, "are you certain?"
Karrion turned, unwavering. His eyes, still red-rimmed from grief, now burned with grim determination.
"I am no oracle," the dwarf admitted in his gravelly voice, "but ancient dwarven runes speak of the Starborn's gift: it can stabilize and channel celestial power when all else fails." He tapped the haft of his hammer thoughtfully. "This 'Shadowblight' is unlike anything recorded, and 'Starfire Blade' remains theory—my last hope, born of both lore and desperation.
"To forge such a weapon demands rare star-metal, the living forge's heartfire, intricate runic script—and a catalyst to bind it all. Your blood, Raine Morningstar—tainted with the very essence of star-light—may be the only conduit strong enough here."
His words struck deeper than any blade. Raine's pulse thundered as he fought to remain upright.
Thalia did not move. The single faint light of her gaze reflected a complex tangle of compassion, worry—and something unreadable. She, too, felt the dwarf's plea as a solemn weight upon them all.
"I…" Raine began, but was cut off by a sudden fit of hacking coughs. Pain shot through his lungs and chest, and a sharp tang of blood stung his tongue. He straightened, dabbing at the red-damp cloth at his lips, the life-essence he would be asked to give.
Karrion's expression softened for the first time since his vow. Concern flickered across his broad features.
Thalia's cloak rustled behind him as she stepped forward, eyes narrowing at the crimson stain on Raine's hand. Her lips parted, as if to speak, then pressed tightly together.
"Your body…" Karrion rumbled, "is far worse off than I thought."
Raine forced a strained smile. "I'm fine," he managed, though each breath burned like embers.
He turned to Thalia, gaze sharp. "Before I decide to bleed for this madness, I need answers." His voice, though soft, cut through the air like a blade. "What is your power, exactly? What cost does it extract from you? What secret do you hide beneath that cloak—and that hand pressed over your heart? Are you only with me because my blood soothes some curse within you?"
At last, Thalia's shoulders stiffened and her head rose. Under her hood, her features were pale and pinched, yet her silver-blue eyes burned with undeniable sorrow and quiet resolve.
"My gift," she replied, voice hushed yet clear, "sprang from an ancient vow, a burden I bear by right—and by curse. Each time I call its power, I surrender a piece of my life."
She paused, folding her arms beneath her cloak. "My purpose aligns with yours—to stem this tide of corruption. Yes, your star-blood eases my affliction, but that is not the only reason I walk beside you."
Raine studied her face, searching for any hint of deception. She met his gaze for a moment, then dropped her eyes once more, offering no further confession.
A wounded silence settled among them. Raine's unspoken doubts etched deep lines in his mind.
Karrion cleared his throat, shifting the tension like a stone in the darkness. "We cannot linger here," he growled. "Night falls, and this place is no place to argue."
Raine's eyes flicked to the deeper shadows beyond and then back to Thalia. His chest tightened with a sudden premonition.
"I'll go this way," he declared, pointing at a knot of darker brambles that wound toward what he perceived as a shortcut.
Thalia's reaction was instantaneous: her mouth opened in alarm. "No—this way!" She took a step forward, planting herself between Raine and the brambles. "Over there… It's worse—far worse!"
"Worse?" Raine shot back, frustration burning in his weary voice. "Every path we've trod could kill us!"
Her eyes glinted under the hood as she whispered, "My magic senses pure corruption, beyond mere beasts. That route leads to a maw of the Blight Forest that preys on the living."
"Your 'sense' nearly killed you once," Raine hissed, voice cracked. "Is this another half-truth?"
Thalia recoiled, hurt and fury mingling in her pale face. "My sight is no lie!" she snapped. "And your so-called precognition—how often has THAT betrayed you?"
Their argument ripped open the fragile thread of trust that bound them. Harsh words flew like arrows in the stagnant air.
Karrion erupted with a thunderous roar. "Enough!" He slammed his hammer head to the ground with a bone-shaking crash. "We're STILL alive, aren't we? Leave your pride behind or I'll leave you both as bait!"
At his roar, the forest seemed to exhale. All three froze, eyes wide in the sudden hush.
Then—without warning—a piercing shriek shredded the night. The ground trembled as great, unseen forces stirred in the darkness.
"This is no time for petty quarrels!" Karrion roared, leaping into a battle stance.
From the brambles they had nearly chosen, a pack of massive, twisted creatures emerged—bestial abominations born of shadow and rot, snarling with lipless maws and dripping with venomous ichor.
In an instant, the schism between Raine and Thalia vanished. Steel, magic, and resolve coalesced into a single purpose: survival.
Raine snatched up his dagger as Karrion's shield clanged forward and Thalia's hands ignited with flickering shadow-light. Their old doubts were submerged beneath the war-cry of necessity.
As the foul horde bore down upon them, the trio found a fleeting unity in their shared peril. Even as trust lay fractured like the ruins around them, they fought shoulder to shoulder against the encroaching darkness—knowing that only together could they hope to shatter the Blight Forest's deadly embrace.