The barracks stirred before dawn. A messenger in crimson livery entered, his boots echoing against the stone floor.
"Kael of the Ember Fields," he announced, voice clipped. "His Majesty requires your presence."
Kael rose, heart pounding. Garrick's gaze followed him, steady but grim. "This is not a summons for ceremony," Garrick said. "It is a measure of worth."
Tharos shifted in the shadows, feathers glowing faintly. The beast's ember eyes fixed on Kael, as if urging him forward.
The throne room was cold as Kael felt it through his skin. The Emperor sat high upon his seat, draped in gold and crimson, his expression unreadable.
"You wield fire," the Emperor said, his voice carrying across the marble hall. "You wield fear. Some call you savior. Others call you curse. I will decide which you are."
He gestured to a map unfurled across the floor.
"The Iron Pass has fallen to rebels. They choke our supply lines. You will lead a detachment to reclaim it."
Kael's breath caught. Lead? He was still a recruit. Yet the Emperor's words left no room for refusal.
Rowan stepped forward, bowing with practiced grace. "Your Majesty, entrusting such a task to one untested is perilous. If he falters, the Empire suffers."
The Emperor's gaze silenced him. "Then you will accompany him, Rowan. If he falters, you will answer for it."
Rowan's smile was thin, but his eyes gleamed with malice.
Back in the barracks, Garrick spoke quietly, his voice low enough that only Kael could hear.
"The Emperor has set a snare. Success will raise you, failure will bury you. Rowan will do everything to ensure the latter."
Kael frowned. "Then I must succeed."
Garrick's scarred hand gripped his shoulder. " Succeed is one thing but you must be fearless .Command is not about victory alone it is about carrying men who doubt you into battles they cannot imagine."
Kael nodded, though doubt gnawed at him.
In the stables, Kael pressed his forehead against Tharos's beak.
"They question me," he whispered. "Even the Emperor."
Tharos's ember eyes glowed. As if saying "Then let them witness. Let them see fire that cannot be extinguished."
Kael closed his eyes, the words burning into him. He was no longer just a recruit. He was being tested as a leader.
At dawn, Kael mounted Tharos. Soldiers gathered, uncertain, whispers rippling through the ranks. Some looked at him with suspicion, others with hope.
Rowan rode at the front, his smirk hidden behind courtesy. Garrick limped beside Kael, his presence a steady anchor.
The Iron Pass awaited a gauntlet of stone and rebellion.
Kael raised his sword.
"For courage," he shouted.
"For fire that never dies we shall march forward !!"
And the march began.