NOVEL WEB Chapter 316: The Primordial Flame
Morning came in the Arondale mountain range in the same way it had always arrived. With air that was crisp, thin, and biting.
After a few minutes of staring at the canvas above his head, Ren rose quietly from the tent, careful not to disturb Lilith.
She lay still beside him, her breathing soft and rhythmic. He paused for a second to stare at her, smiling softly.
"Beautiful." He whispered to himself.
With that said, he ducked out of the tent flap and stretched his limbs with a groan, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Good morning, world."
He stood where he was, his gaze turning eastward, to where the horizon was beginning to glow. He could feel it again, deeper in the mountain range.
That same subtle heat.
It wasn't the warmth of the sun, nor the warmth of the fire.
It was something much more insidious. Something that sank way deeper beneath the skin. A thread of energy that tingled at the edge of his awareness, humming inside his soul.
This was the same feeling he'd been having ever since he ascended to Rank 5. The same heat that now tugged at him in the morning light. The same heat that never truly faded.
It somehow reminded him of a breath held too long, waiting to be exhaled but never seeing the satisfaction.
A song that was unfinished, that sticks in your mind, trying to drive you to search out the remaining lyrics to it.
Like a thread just waiting to be pulled out of the dress, smoothing the surface, but unable to be grasped.
It was like waiting for a day that would never come.
A soft smile appeared on his face as he remembered the only two Rank 5 Knights he had ever been close to. His father and the Knight Commander that secured the barbarian border, Arlen.
They'd both been feeling this heat, this yearning, and had stuck to their duties. His admiration for them only increased with this new information.
He exhaled a quiet breath and turned away from the view, setting about building the fire.
With practiced movements, he retrieved a small pot, a bundle of herbs, dried meat, and some root vegetables from his spatial pouch.
He also brought out a loaf of fresh bread wrapped in linen, still soft and warm from the preservation magic of the pouch.
"Maybe the Deep would've been more comfortable if we had fresh bread." He chuckled to himself.
The fire crackled to life, and soon the ingredients were boiling, the scent of rich broth and spices wafting through the crisp air.
He stirred the pot slowly, letting the morning silence soak through him.
For a moment, he considered Lilith's words. Should they just leave and find a place to hole up in as the world destroyed around them?
Then, reality set in. Either way, the world would be destroyed. After all, he had no viable way to stop the second Great Calamity.
The only safe place from that calamity was back at home. The Ross and Underwood castles. With the defenses they'd erected after the war with the Tribe of Three, they should be able to get through it unscathed. But even that was no guarantee.
As long as he could stop the Calamities he could stop, his family would survive. And that was what he wanted.
He turned back to his cooking, inhaling deeply to take in the delicious aroma.
"Still got it." He chuckled to himself.
Thorn was the first to stir, groaning as he sat up and sniffed. "Gods, that smells amazing."
Ren smirked as Thorn crawled out of the tent. "I still haven't found something I can't do. At this point, maybe I should change my name to genius."
"And while you're at it, just toss away your Divine Gift." Thorn shot back with a grin. "I'm sure if you're without the Gift that makes sure you can do everything, you'd get even more special."
They both looked up as the larger tent rustled and Lilith walked out, her eyes drowsy but alert. She sniffed the air, following the trail to the fire. She'd been woken up by the same scent.
She settled beside Ren, watching the bubbling pot with interest. Her hair was tousled and the remnants of sleep still clung to her face.
As their breakfast was being prepared, Ren cleared his throat. "Alright. We've made it to the mountain range. So, here's the plan."
Thorn and Lilith both looked at him.
"We need to find Ur. It's a town, hidden somewhere on this mountain. It's the landmark that we need. The place that marks the beginning of our real journey."
Thorn leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "There are towns in the mountain range? Why have we never heard of them?"
"Most haven't. It's hidden not because it's special, but because the people that need it are not necessarily… social. And that is because Ur is the gateway. The entry point into what a select group of people call the Search."
Lilith tilted her head. "The Search?"
Ren nodded. "It's what they call the journey to find the Primordial Flame."
"What's that?" Thorn's brows rose. "The name's badass."
"It is said that the world was made out of the four elements. Fire. Water. Earth. And Air."
"We know that."
"Shut the fuck up or I'll punch your nose clean off your face." Lilith said flatly, not taking her attention off Ren.
"Sorry." Thorn grinned sheepishly.
"Thank you." Ren smiled at Lilith before continuing. "The primordial elements were used up except one. Fire. Fire had just one last ember remaining sealed up into the crust of the world."
"It's a story that very few know, but all who have survived in this mountain range knows of. That is because the myth is real."
Ren stirred the fire with a stick. "The Primordial Flame is one of the most dangerous weapons in the world because obviously, it's a primordial power, and also because the Flame is… alive in some way."
He could see the question in Thorn's expression, so he decided to clarify. "The flame calls out to people. Not directly, but through the heat."
"When someone becomes powerful enough, specifically someone with a power granted by a Tree of Power, they begin to feel the heat."
"The heat is… subtle at first. Then stronger. The closer you are, the more it pulls. It's not directional—you can't follow it—but you know it's here. Somewhere in the Arondale mountain range."
Lilith nodded slowly. "I've never felt it."
"Because you don't have a Tree of Power." Ren said. "You have a Divine Gift. That's different. The people who feel the Flame? I think it's because their Trees are still connected to Yggdrasil."
Thorn furrowed his brows, unable to help himself. "So Yggdrasil wants the Flame?"
"I think so." Ren said. "Maybe Yggdrasil is trying to use it for its own ends, or maybe it just wants to destroy it to keep it from falling into the hands of mortals."
"Maybe….," he paused, "just maybe, the Primordial Flame can kill Yggdrasil."
"Either way, the flame is drawing people here. Dangerous people. Strong people. People chasing a power that just won't let them leave."
He glanced up at the sky. "That's one of the reasons why no army can ever make it through Arondale."
"Too many powerful things roam these peaks. Too many warlords, beasts, and forces you can't bargain with. As we speak, even the Silent Healer roams these peaks."
"And the worst part, the terrain is unpredictable. One day it could be the coldest place on earth and the next, the hottest. A large group is just setting itself up for death."
Lilith looked thoughtful. "And once we find Ur?"
Ren leaned forward. "There's a guide there. A man named Dario. He knows the path to the seventh peak. From there, we can travel on our own. I've got the rest mapped out."
Thorn leaned back with a sigh. "And this Flame... it'll burn away our Tree connections?"
"If you let it." Ren said. "Its power doesn't stop at just burning Trees. It can burn away what you were, down to the soul."
Thorn flexed his bone arm. "Will I lose this?"
Ren shook his head. "No. The Divine Gift I have in mind for you will save it. And that is why we'll be getting the Gift first before journeying to the flame."
Lilith arched an eyebrow. "You're sure we'll find the Gift?"
Ren nodded. "As sure as I can be. This mountain range is unlike anything else. It holds secrets older than Albion. If there's one secret I've unearthed, it's the locations of the Divine Gifts scattered around it."
"And if the mountain range is untouched by the butterfly effect of my coming due to its isolation, the timeline should still be mostly intact. And if it is, the Gift would still be unclaimed."
Thorn gave a crooked grin. "Guess we better hurry up and then."
Ren smirked. "Don't get your hopes up, though. It could be gone."
"Yeah, yeah."
With a smile on his face, Ren turned back to the food. It was ready.
As he dished them out, the sun crested the ridge behind them, signaling that it was in fact, a new day.
They sat together, eating quietly, the clink of wooden bowls and the crackle of the fire the only sounds between them.
Ren passed out the warm bread, tearing off chunks and soaking them in the rich soup.
They finished their meal, packed their belongings, and broke camp.
Ur was waiting.
And the Search had begun.