Kael Ashvane finally gave up trying to steal back the wine jug from Elder Greymantle's bony hands.
The old hermit sat beside the low fire with his white brows drooping over half-lidded eyes, drinking leisurely while the rain hissed outside the hut. The rich scent of roasted meat and strong liquor hung thick in the air.
Kael leaned forward across the table instead, eyes burning with curiosity.
"Then teach me the brewing method at least," he said. "And that refining trick you mentioned."
Greymantle chuckled softly.
"If you do not understand refinement, boy, then you may as well be throwing treasure into the mud." He lifted a finger toward Kael's empty cup. "Take those Redjade fruits of yours. Tossing them whole into liquor is a waste of excellent material."
As he spoke, the old man reached into his sleeve and produced two tiny folded paper packets.
"Here. Yours."
Kael blinked. He took them and carefully opened the packets atop the table.
Inside lay two piles of fine powder.
One deep violet.
One crimson red.
"What in the hells is this?" he asked.
"The flesh of the Redjade fruit has already been refined into the wine." Greymantle pointed with one yellowed fingernail. "The purple powder is the concentrated essence of the seeds. The red powder is the essence extracted from the skin. Both are excellent materials for alchemy and sigil work."
Kael stared at the powders with his mouth hanging open.
The old hermit smiled into his cup.
"When you know how to separate impurity from essence, nothing need be wasted. Truly valuable materials should be used down to the last grain."
Kael looked from the powders to the wine jug in awe.
"I threw the whole damned fruit into a barrel and drank it like a brute," he muttered. "But you not only brewed something that tastes ten times better—you pulled two extra materials out of it besides."
He shook his head hard.
"That's unbelievable."
Greymantle stroked his beard.
"A skilled refiner can turn rot into gold. Compared to that, refining Redjade fruit is nothing."
Kael's expression changed immediately.
"So you're some kind of grandmaster alchemist?"
"I am not."
Greymantle answered it calmly enough, but the next words nearly made Kael choke on his drink.
"A few of my disciples might qualify."
Kael sat there dumbstruck for a moment.
Then suddenly his eyes widened.
"Wait. There's something I need you to look at."
He slapped a palm onto the table and muttered a quick curse beneath his breath. The seal on the Wardian Satchel shimmered.
A moment later he pointed toward the empty side of the hut.
A massive shadow burst into existence.
Wind exploded through the room.
Violet and Azure both shrieked and nearly toppled backward as an enormous corpse suddenly filled half the hut.
The gigantic dead bird lay sprawled across the floorboards, its dark feathers dull but still carrying traces of ancient flame-colored sheen.
"A spirit above..." Violet gasped. "Is that a phoenix?"
"Look at the size of it!" Azure pressed a hand to her chest. "That thing has to be several thousand years old!"
"No." Elder Greymantle narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "A little over one thousand."
Kael immediately stepped beside him.
"Can you refine anything useful out of it?"
Hope practically dripped from his voice.
Greymantle walked around the corpse slowly, inspecting feathers, claws, eyes, bones.
Then he sighed.
"Originally? Hundreds of materials at minimum."
Kael's heart leapt—
—and immediately crashed.
"But your preservation was terrible," the old man continued. "The spirit essence has already leaked badly. At this point you may only recover a dozen useful materials. Perhaps fewer."
Kael made a wounded sound in his throat.
He looked like a man watching mountains of gold being tossed into a furnace.
Greymantle tapped one long fingernail against the corpse.
"This creature was no ordinary beast. But now its inner essence is gone. If you leave it untreated much longer, you'll gain nothing at all."
"What?"
Kael nearly jumped out of his chair.
"Then refine it now! Please!"
He leaned closer immediately.
"If you help me process it, we'll split everything fifty-fifty."
"Fifty-fifty?" Violet nearly screamed.
She sprang beside him and stared at him with wide disbelieving eyes, blinking furiously as if trying to wake from a nightmare.
Kael shoved her aside irritably.
"Move."
The butterfly spirit looked ready to bite him.
Greymantle rubbed his beard thoughtfully for several long moments.
Then he nodded once.
"Very well. It has been a long time since these old bones handled something this large."
Behind Kael, Violet collapsed onto a stool in despair.
"This idiot," she hissed quietly to Azure through clenched teeth. "This complete idiot! He's splitting a treasure like that with somebody else!"
Azure whispered back helplessly, "He really is stupid..."
Kael ignored them both.
"How long will it take?"
"For something this size?" Greymantle replied. "At minimum one night. Possibly three days."
Kael frowned.
"Then I'll come back for it later."
"Later?"
The old hermit's brows twitched slightly.
"You intend to leave?"
"Of course I'm leaving." Kael suddenly stiffened. "Right. Old sir—can you tell us how to get out of this forest?"
Greymantle answered instantly.
"There is no method."
Kael stared.
"No method?"
He forced out an awkward laugh.
"You're joking."
"This forest is called the Bewildering Wood," Greymantle said softly. "The clear-minded pass through it easily. The lost remain lost."
The fire crackled between them.
"For one whose heart is calm, this forest spans only a few steps." The old man's pale eyes narrowed. "For one whose spirit is clouded..."
A faint smile curled beneath his beard.
"It stretches without end."
Silence fell.
Kael, Violet, and Azure all stared at him.
Azure snorted first.
"That's nonsense. No forest works like that."
Greymantle ignored her completely.
Instead he looked only at Kael.
"You are distracted," he said. "Your spirit is restless. In your current state, you will never leave the Bewildering Wood."
Kael's chest tightened violently.
For some reason, hearing those words filled him with sudden panic.
"No."
He stood so quickly his stool scraped backward.
"No. I have to get out. Shreve Lyra is waiting for me."
The more he thought about it, the more frantic he became.
Hours.
He had already been gone for hours.
With Lyra's temper?
Gods only knew what she would do.
He turned sharply toward the Farwyn sisters.
"I'm leaving now. Are you two coming or not?"
"Of course we are," Violet said, swaying slightly as she stood. "We've got important business too."
Both sisters were visibly drunk now.
Their slender bodies rocked unsteadily while they pushed themselves upright using the edge of the table.
Kael bowed toward Greymantle.
"Thank you for the meal, old sir. I'll return another day."
"If you cannot leave," the old man replied with a strange smile, "then come back here."
Something about that smile unsettled Kael deeply.
Still, he forced a grin.
"I won't need to."
He turned and strode out into the rain.
Behind him, Azure waved cheerfully.
"Thank you, Elder! Your cooking was incredible!"
But Violet grabbed her arm immediately.
"Hurry!"
The sisters stumbled after Kael into the storm.
Outside, the forest was dark green beneath the falling rain.
Kael summoned the Griffin Carriage and vaulted aboard in one smooth motion.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Violet shouted.
The two butterfly spirits spread their arms and leapt gracefully upward, landing lightly inside the carriage beside him.
Behind them, Elder Greymantle stood silently in the doorway of the hut with both hands behind his back.
He watched the Griffin Carriage rise into the air.
Watched it vanish beyond the endless canopy.
Only then did a voice sound softly behind him.
"He left?"
The voice was so beautiful it hardly sounded human.
Greymantle turned instantly.
A woman now stood inside the hut.
No footsteps.
No sound.
One moment the room had been empty.
The next, she was there.
Even Elder Greymantle looked startled.
He immediately lifted his robes and dropped to one knee.
"I did not know the Sovereign herself had arrived," he said respectfully. "Forgive this old servant for failing to greet you properly."
"Rise," Sovereign Vaela answered. "There is no need for ceremony between us."
Only then did Greymantle stand.
"You came for him?"
But Vaela did not answer directly.
"He insisted on leaving?"
"Yes."
Greymantle nodded.
"But he cannot escape. I altered the restriction. No matter which direction he travels, the forest will eventually guide him back here."
Vaela's beautiful eyes softened slightly.
"You have done well."
The old hermit sighed heavily.
"He is no longer the same boy he once was. And outside this forest..." He shook his head slowly. "Too many dangers are waiting."
Vaela's expression grew distant.
"Our realm stands on the edge of a Great Calamity unlike anything seen in countless ages. I cannot divide my attention." She looked toward the dark forest outside. "His safety rests with you."
Greymantle bowed his head.
"Even without your command, I would protect him with my life. He once climbed Phoenixspur itself to save us. I have not forgotten."
Vaela gave a small nod.
"There are many forces approaching this place," she said quietly. "And some carry terrifying backgrounds. If you require aid, speak."
Greymantle considered it.
Then slowly shook his head.
"I can handle most of them myself." His eyes narrowed slightly. "But if the Empyrean Throne or the western powers interfere... I ask the Sovereign to block them personally."
Vaela inclined her head.
"Very well."
Then she added:
"Primus Valder may descend from Phoenixspur himself."
Greymantle's brows immediately drew together.
"He's coming too?"
For the first time, real unease crossed the old hermit's face.
"Then... yes. I'll need your help with that one." He grimaced faintly. "That bastard cultivates an art specifically designed to suppress my kind. I still have not found a way around it."
"I will handle him," Vaela said.
Silence lingered briefly.
Then Greymantle spoke again.
"You mentioned the Great Calamity." His voice lowered. "Where does it come from?"
Vaela's face grew grave.
"We do not know."
Rain tapped softly against the roof.
"The sovereigns and ancients of the Fell Realm have searched for months. Every divination ends in darkness." Her eyes slowly narrowed. "That alone proves how dangerous this disaster truly is."
Greymantle sighed deeply.
"Ever since he suffered that catastrophe..." He looked weary suddenly. "The realm still has many powerful beings. Yet none can truly ease your burden anymore."
Vaela said nothing.
She merely closed her eyes.
For a moment, she looked exhausted beyond words.
Greymantle hesitated.
"Still... the Primordial Sigil remains within him. Perhaps I can think of some way to help him grow stronger faster."
Vaela opened her eyes immediately.
"No."
Her answer came sharp and absolute.
"You must not force his growth."
Greymantle fell silent.
"Pulling a sprout upward only kills it," she said more softly. "Besides... although he bears the Shadow Fox bloodline, he is not truly of our realm."
Pain flickered briefly across her impossibly beautiful face.
"The last time he suffered because of us." Her voice grew quieter. "I have regretted it ever since."
Greymantle said nothing.
The hut became still except for the rain.
Vaela lowered her gaze.
"In truth... judging from the previous two Shadow Foxes, he will inevitably become powerful."
Then, unexpectedly, sorrow entered her voice.
"But part of me wishes he could remain weak forever."
Greymantle looked at her in surprise.
"If enough time passes," she murmured, "perhaps the gods and the Buddhas will finally forget him."
The old hermit hesitated.
Then finally asked the question that had clearly haunted him for years.
"Sovereign... is he truly the same one?"
Vaela's eyes shifted slightly.
"Or merely a descendant?"
She remained quiet for several long moments before answering.
"I do not know."
The fire crackled softly.
"The mysteries of the Shadow Fox lineage cannot be fully understood by anyone." Her gaze became distant. "But I have always felt that the first Shadow Fox and the second Shadow Fox were the same man."
Then suddenly—
a faint blush appeared upon her flawless face.
Even Greymantle froze.
Vaela looked away slightly before continuing.
"He once told me personally..." Her voice became almost inaudible.
"As long as he existed... another Shadow Fox would never appear."
By then the sun had already begun sinking westward.
Below the Griffin Carriage, endless green forest blurred by in streaks.
But no matter how far Kael flew, the Bewildering Wood showed no end.
His expression grew uglier with every passing moment.
Meanwhile the Farwyn sisters had completely surrendered to the wine.
"Woooo—!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
The two women sprawled across opposite sides of the carriage, shouting wildly into the rushing wind.
Their voices rose and fell in shrill drunken bursts.
Sometimes sweet.
Sometimes shamelessly seductive.
Kael's temples throbbed.
"Would you two shut up already?" he snapped. "I told you not to drink so much!"
Violet turned toward him with flushed cheeks and glittering eyes.
"You saying we're drunk?"
Then suddenly she slithered forward and wrapped both soft pale arms around his neck from behind.
Kael nearly jumped out of his skin.
"What are you doing?! Sit down!"
"I'm drunk," she purred lazily against his ear. "Can't stand properly."
Her body pressed tightly against his back.
Kael instantly felt the soft crush of her breasts through the thin fabric between them.
Heat exploded straight through his spine.
"Sit properly," he barked again.
"Nooo." Violet clung tighter. "Little White has to hold me."
Her chest rubbed slowly against him as the carriage jolted through the air.
Warm breath brushed his ear.
The heavy scent of wine poured from her lips—sweet, wet, intoxicating.
Kael's heartbeat started hammering wildly.
"Stop messing around!"
But Violet only giggled.
"I'm not scared. I can fly anyway."
Kael was sweating now.
Then suddenly he caught sight of Azure from the corner of his eye.
The blue-haired butterfly spirit had half her body hanging out over the edge of the carriage.
She looked dangerously close to falling.
"Damn it!"
Kael pointed immediately.
"Go pull your sister back before she flips out of the carriage!"
Violet merely tightened her embrace around him.
"The carriage is shaking too much," she complained drunkenly. "How am I supposed to walk over there?"
Then she smiled lazily beside his ear.
"You're closer than I am anyway. Why don't you do it yourself?"
"Can't you see I'm driving?" Kael snapped over his shoulder, veins standing out in his neck.
Azure was leaning farther and farther out over the side of the Griffin Carriage. One hard jolt and she would tumble straight into the black forest below.
Cold panic flashed through him.
He twisted around fast and grabbed for her.
The butterfly spirit suddenly spun back toward him instead. With a soft cry, she threw herself straight into his chest.
Kael nearly lost hold of the reins.
"You gonna puke or something?" he barked.
Azure only stared up at him with drunken, glassy eyes before breaking into a foolish little smile.
"Now you know how bad this feels," Kael grumbled. "I'm steering this damn thing. Both of you sit down before you kill yourselves."
Easy enough to say.
A hell of a lot harder when two beautiful women were draped all over him.
Azure whimpered softly and burrowed deeper against him like a spoiled little cat seeking warmth.
"I feel awful…" she moaned. "Want Cairn White to hold me…"
Violet finally loosened her grip around his waist.
For one blessed second, Kael thought sanity had returned.
Then the purple-haired spirit climbed up onto the seat itself.
She stood there wobbling high above the rushing forest with both arms spread wide.
"Whooo—!"
The wind whipped her dark hair straight behind her.
"I'm flying!" she shouted drunkenly. "I wanna fly higher! I wanna fly into the sky!"
Kael's face turned white.
"Get down from there!" he roared. "You trying to get blown off the carriage?"
Violet grinned at him through the rain-heavy wind.
"If I fall," she teased, "would you miss me?"
"Miss my ass! I'm not your father!"
Instead of obeying, she actually started bouncing on the seat.
Singing.
Dancing.
Laughing.
The Griffin Carriage rocked dangerously beneath her feet.
Kael's heart nearly stopped.
"Quit screwing around!"
But Violet either ignored him or genuinely didn't hear him anymore. She only jumped higher, laughing louder each time.
"Please…" Kael's voice cracked. "Please stop."
His tone softened despite himself.
Violet instantly caught it.
She planted her hands on her hips smugly.
"So you do care?"
Kael looked one second away from collapse.
"Yes! Fine! I care! Happy now? If you fall off this thing my guts'll rip themselves apart! My heart'll break! I'll die too!"
Violet burst into delighted laughter.
"That's what you said. No taking it back later."
Then she jumped.
Straight at him.
Kael barely managed to catch her before she smashed them both against the side of the carriage.
Her arms looped around his neck.
Then her hot, wine-sweet lips kissed him twice beside the ear.
Quick little wet kisses.
Kael froze.
"Ah! Then I want one too!"
Azure pushed herself upward from his chest and eagerly joined in, kissing along his jaw and throat.
Heat exploded through Kael's entire body.
His head was already spinning from the wine.
Now the scent of the sisters surrounded him completely—sweet skin, damp hair, warm breath, liquor and flowers.
He was dying.
Absolutely dying.
Then suddenly his eyes widened.
The color drained from his face.
The girls noticed immediately and followed his stare forward.
Through the trees ahead stood several crooked little huts.
A vegetable garden.
Smoke-blackened fencing.
Elder Greymantle's clearing.
Kael stared blankly.
"How the hell did we end up back here?"
Azure giggled against his shoulder.
"Maybe someone wasn't paying attention while driving."
Kael's expression darkened.
The old hermit's smile flashed through his memory again.
That knowing smile.
That smug smile.
Something about it suddenly made his skin crawl.
Without another word, Kael jerked the reins hard and turned the Griffin Carriage around again.
The ancient beasts pulling it cried out and surged back into the endless green sea of the Bewildering Wood.
An hour later, they returned to the exact same clearing.
Kael's stomach sank.
"What in the void is going on…"
"I told you that old man was strange," Violet muttered, much soberer now. "And you were acting all generous with him earlier."
Kael said nothing.
He simply turned the carriage around again.
By the time the sky had turned red with evening light, they returned to Elder Greymantle's home for the third time.
This time Kael did not curse.
Did not panic.
His face became frighteningly calm instead.
The old man's smile lingered in his mind like silent mockery.
The Bewildering Wood was playing with him.
Or someone inside it was.
"Sun's almost gone…" Violet whispered uneasily, glancing into the darkening trees.
The wine had mostly left both sisters now.
Fear was finally settling in.
"We can barely see anything anymore," Azure said nervously. "And there are monsters in this forest like that black bear…"
She swallowed hard.
"Maybe we should stop here for the night and figure things out tomorrow?"
"No."
Kael's answer came instantly.
Flat.
Cold.
Absolutely firm.
"But the beasts are exhausted," Violet argued softly, looking toward the heaving creatures dragging the carriage.
Foam hung from their mouths.
Their breathing had turned ragged.
Kael still cracked the reins again.
The Griffin Carriage lurched away from the clearing for the fourth time.
Then the forest flashed white.
A deafening thunderclap exploded overhead.
The sky split open.
Rain crashed down in giant freezing sheets.
"Ah!" Azure cried. "It's raining!"
Violet immediately covered her hair with both hands in horror.
"My hair's ruined! Find somewhere dry!"
"Perfect timing…" Kael muttered bitterly.
He scanned the forest desperately.
Nothing.
Only endless trees and black shadows.
"Take the carriage lower," Azure shouted over the storm. "Maybe there's shelter under the trees!"
Kael gritted his teeth and guided the Griffin Carriage downward into the forest canopy.
Branches whipped past them.
Thunder rolled above like collapsing mountains.
Rain hammered the leaves so hard the entire forest hissed beneath it.
Mist spread through the darkness.
Water poured over Kael's face so heavily he could barely keep his eyes open.
He steered wildly through the woods searching for anything.
Anything at all.
Another massive bolt of lightning struck nearby.
The forest became white as day for a single instant.
"There!" Azure screamed.
Kael saw it too.
At the roots of an enormous ancient tree yawned a hollow opening large enough for three people.
He drove straight toward it.
The carriage skidded through mud and roots before stopping beside the hollow.
Kael shoved the two sisters inside first before climbing in after them.
All three collapsed against one another breathing hard.
Soaked.
Freezing.
The hollow was cramped beyond belief.
Their wet clothes clung tightly to their skin while icy wind still pushed through the entrance.
Kael muttered a spell and drew the Griffin Carriage into the storage space of the Wardian Satchel.
Then he sat there in the darkness feeling utterly miserable.
I'm not getting back tonight.
Lyra Farrow's face rose instantly in his mind.
Shreve Lyra's probably going mad looking for me by now…
A knot of guilt twisted in his chest.
Damn it… this is all because I kept wandering around like an idiot…
"Cold…" Azure whimpered pitifully.
Beside them, Violet was trembling too.
Outside, the rain only worsened.
The storm battered the forest relentlessly.
Wind shoved into the hollow in sharp freezing gusts.
Kael frowned.
The sisters had drunk too much wine earlier. Then they spent hours flying through cold air before getting drenched by the storm.
No wonder they were shaking.
"I wanna go back to the inn…" Azure mumbled sleepily. "Hot bath… warm blankets…"
Kael closed his eyes briefly.
Whatever their reasons had been before, the sisters were trapped in this nightmare because of him now.
That much was true.
"Mmm…"
Violet pressed herself tighter against him.
"Cairn White's body is really warm…"
Kael blinked.
Then an idea struck him.
Fire Vitae.
Of course.
He quietly circulated the Sundering Flame Art through his Channels.
Heat immediately spread through his body.
The two butterfly spirits reacted at once.
Like cats crowding around a furnace during winter, they pushed greedily against him from both sides.
Kael's skin grew hotter and hotter.
Steam slowly rose from their soaked clothing.
Before long, all three were completely dry.
The freezing dampness vanished.
Warm smooth skin replaced it.
Bodies pressed close together in the cramped hollow.
Soft thighs.
Bare arms.
Breasts flattened gently against his chest whenever the sisters shifted.
The warmth became dangerously comfortable.
"Mmm… feels so good…" Violet moaned lazily.
The sound alone was enough to make ugly thoughts bloom in Kael's mind.
"So sleepy…" Azure yawned against his chest.
Outside, the storm raged endlessly.
Inside the hollow, it felt almost like spring.
Exhaustion finally dragged all three of them under.
One by one, they fell asleep to the sound of thunder and rain.
Kael did not know how much time passed before something wet brushed his ear.
He jerked slightly.
"Quit it…" he mumbled half-asleep.
Someone had licked his earlobe.
A moment later the teasing tongue slid lower along the side of his neck.
Warm.
Soft.
Playful.
Kael's mind was still fogged with sleep. He could not even remember which sister was lying on his left side anymore.
The tongue slipped back upward.
Then suddenly flicked straight into his ear.
Kael shuddered violently.
His hand moved instinctively to block whoever it was.
Instead his elbow smashed into something unbelievably soft.
A startled cry sounded in the darkness.
"What happened?" Violet asked sleepily from the opposite side.
"Somebody grabbed my breast," Azure complained in a sweet voice.
"I didn't," Violet answered immediately, giggling.
Kael wanted to die.
"I—I didn't mean to! There's no room in here!"
"Oh?" Azure slid closer again until her lips touched his ear.
"So you're secretly this naughty…"
"I said it was an accident!"
His defense sounded weak even to himself.
Then that damned tongue slipped into his ear again.
Kael nearly convulsed.
This time he did not dare move at all.
"Cairn White," Violet murmured from the other side, "why are you breathing so hard?"
"N-nothing… probably catching a cold…"
He fought desperately to control his breathing.
"That can't be it." Violet's hand settled against his chest. "Your heart's pounding."
Her fingers slipped slowly inside his clothes.
Kael's mouth went dry.
His pulse hammered like war drums.
Then one of the sisters shifted in the darkness.
A soft thigh draped directly across his groin.
His cock, already swollen from the teasing and warmth and scent surrounding him, jerked hard beneath the pressure.
Kael groaned.
In an instant it surged fully erect, thick and rigid against the girl's leg.
Azure laughed softly near his ear.
Then her arm slid down his chest.
Lower.
Lower.
A soft hand closed around him through his trousers.
"Whoa!" she gasped.
"What?" Violet asked immediately.
"There's a snake down here," Azure said between giggles. "A huge one. I caught it."
"Really? Where?"
"Under Cairn White." Azure laughed harder. "And it's fighting back."
"I'll help."
Another hand joined the first.
Warm.
Silky.
Violet's fingers wrapped around the head of his cock through the soaked fabric.
"Gods…" she whispered. "It really is huge…"
"And long…" Azure breathed.
Their hands stroked him shamelessly.
Up.
Down.
Squeezing.
Testing.
Playing.
"Stop that," Kael warned hoarsely.
Neither listened.
Four soft hands continued tormenting him in the darkness.
"The head's so big," Violet giggled. "It's twitching."
"So hard…" Azure whispered, licking her lips audibly. "Feels powerful…"
Kael's entire body strained with unbearable heat.
"These little demons…" he thought wildly. "They're going too damn far…"
His control was reaching its limit.
Then suddenly the cramped hollow erupted into chaos.
Violet gave a short startled cry.
"Soror?" Azure called out.
Rustling filled the darkness.
Clothing shifting.
Hands fumbling.
"Cairn White?" Azure asked again.
Only Kael's heavy breathing answered her.
Then Violet trembled violently.
"Ah—!"
Her voice shook apart into breathless little moans.
"What are you two doing?" Azure demanded, now breathing hard herself.
Her searching hand touched a broad back tense as iron and shivering with strain.
"H-he…" Violet gasped helplessly.
"What's he doing?"
"He's bullying me…" Violet whimpered.
Her voice sounded so wet and sweet it seemed ready to melt in the darkness.