The night had descended upon the forest, heavy and silent as lead. The flames of the crackling fire danced, casting eerie shadows on the colossal trunks of the trees, trying to break the cold breath of the darkness if only for a moment. That ancient and arrogant soul, which had defied centuries, toppled kingdoms, and waged war against gods, was now curled up on the ground inside a young, fragile body, desperate for the feeble warmth of an ordinary campfire. As Devranna's mind scorched with the bloody wars and betrayals of the past, this new prison of flesh and bone had long surpassed its limits, betraying her mercilessly.
The relentless exhaustion that held her body captive had dragged Devranna into a bottomless darkness while she stared at the fire. She did not know how long she had been passed out on that log, but when she slowly opened her eyes, a starless, pitch-black night still reigned in the sky. The freezing cold of the forest pierced her skin, despite the massive black cloak she had draped over herself.
She sat up slightly amidst the feeble crackles of the fire. The old man had not slept; he was sitting on the same log with a thick blanket over his shoulders, waiting silently with his eyes fixed on the dance of the flames.
When the man's gaze shifted to the awakening girl, a fatherly and understanding expression appeared on his face. Taking care not to break the silence of the night, he spoke in a soft voice.
"You looked very tired," he said, lightly poking the embers with the stick in his hand. "I didn't want to wake you. Your body needed that rest."
Even though Devranna inwardly cursed that her once god-like soul had to yield to this mortal weakness, she only responded to the man with a short, acknowledging nod. There was no need for many words. Resisting her aching leg, she stood up quickly; she roughly brushed off the dried leaves, mud, and forest dirt clinging to her cloak and legs with her hands.
As the old man also stood up slowly, the dog sleeping behind him yawned grumpily and came to its owner's side. Gathering his things, the man turned to Devranna and offered a friendly proposal.
"You can come with me if you want," the man said. He pointed with his hand toward the south, where the trees thinned out. "We are not very close to the borders of the Luxaris Empire, but there is a small settlement affiliated with them around here... Gümüşçam Town. It is only a few hours' walking distance from here. There, at the very least, you can find hot soup and a safer roof to hide under."
Devranna's orangish eyes, gleaming in the firelight, narrowed for a brief moment. Hiding from the hunters Valerith would send after her, or from the Luxaris knights, was much easier than trying to survive alone in the wilderness with this weak body. Blending in among people and turning into a faint shadow within the crowd was the most logical strategy right now. Furthermore, in order to reach Yuria, she needed information, a map, and solid preparation.
She was not foolish enough to reject this offer.
Maintaining her silence, she pulled the hood of her black cloak over her head in a way that completely concealed her strikingly light copper hair.
With a dark and dull voice, she briefly said, "Let's go, then." Then, trailing behind the old man and his dog, she began to walk silently toward Gümüşçam Town in the pitch-black of the night.
As the pitch-black darkness in the depths of the forest gradually gave way to the pale, gray light of dawn, only the sounds of breaking branches and the old dog's breathing could be heard between the two. However, this silence was not peaceful for Devranna; on the contrary, the heavy paranoia brought on by centuries set off alarm bells in her mind. She could not fully trust anyone, especially since taking a wrong step while in such a defenseless body could mean her complete annihilation.
As she matched her steps to the old man's pace, she broke the silence, keeping her hands on alert beneath her cloak against a possible attack.
"You gave me food, and now you are letting me tag along," Devranna said, her voice holding ice-cold suspicion rather than gratitude. "But you haven't even told me who you are. What were you doing all alone in the freezing cold of the night, in this cursed forest where wild animals and Luxaris patrols roam?"
The old man chuckled in a soft, wheezy manner without slowing his steps. "You are right, my girl," he said, casting a brief glance at her over his shoulder. "In this era, trusting no one is the greatest wisdom. My name is Elian. And the name of this old companion of mine is Shadow." Upon hearing its name, the dog wagged its tail slightly and rubbed against its master's knee. "I am the town's herbalist. I gather rare roots and night-blooming mushrooms for healers and alchemists. The healing properties of some plants only work when they are uprooted in the starlight. That is why I had to spend the night in the forest. I have no weapons and no ill intentions, I am just an old man minding his own business and digging in the dirt."
Devranna carefully scrutinized the man's gait, the posture of his shoulders, and his calloused hands. His muscles looked as though they had truly been trained only for digging dirt, rather than for swinging a sword or casting magic. Even though that suspicious voice inside her calmed down a little, she did not completely lower her guard.
"Alright, Elian," she muttered from beneath the hood of her cloak.
After an hour's walk, the trees thinned out and they emerged onto a wide, muddy dirt road. Up ahead, Gümüşçam Town, surrounded by wooden defensive walls and stone-built watchtowers, revealed itself with the first light of the morning.
However, Devranna's steps suddenly slowed the moment she clearly saw the main gate of the town. In a matter of seconds, her mind shifted into a lethal combat mode.
In front of the gate, there was a large crowd, carts, and a tense wait. A dozen heavily armored guards, bearing on their chests that hated sun crest of the Luxaris Empire embroidered in gold and silver, had completely blockaded the entrances and exits.
They did not look like ordinary town guards. The special engravings on their armor, their capes, and their ruthless stances made it clear that they belonged to a much higher-ranking unit in the complex military hierarchy of the Luxaris army. Although Devranna did not fully know the military ranks of this new age, she was experienced enough to understand that this armor belonged to an elite group sent directly from the capital under special orders.
This was far from a normal border control. The guards were as aggressive as hunting dogs. They had lined up the villagers who wanted to enter the town, were tearing open the covers on the merchants' carts, and were mercilessly prodding the hay bales with their spear tips. The worst part was that two burly guards waiting at the gate held parchments in their hands; they were forcing everyone passing through to lower their hoods, comparing their faces at length with the drawings they held.
It was obvious that a very important fugitive was being sought.
Devranna's breath caught in her throat. As a reflex, she pulled the hood of the black cloak covering her face a little further down, making sure that not even a single strand of her light copper hair was visible.
*Valerith...* she hissed inwardly. *That cursed bitch, I don't know what kind of scheme you've set up or what kind of game you're playing, but since everyone blindly worships her, it must not have been difficult at all for her to do this from where she sits.* *She must have already broadcasted my appearance across the entire empire and set her own special elite units after me...*
That damn "binding" curse circulating in her veins and preventing her from using her power was still active. If these elite guards were looking for her and asked her to reveal her face at the gate, those orangish eyes and copper hair would give everything away. That ancient soul, who could once turn hundreds of these armored men to ash with a single wave of her hand, was now face to face with death before a few guards at the town gate, caught in the helplessness of this mortal body.