Kain and Lirien rowed hard, their small boat cutting through the waves, guided by a map with a glowing blue arrow pulsing urgently toward an unknown destination. On the horizon, a shadow took shape: a jagged island dominated by a volcano spewing black smoke into the ashen sky. Kain squinted, feeling the restless heat of the Ruby in his pocket.
"Great, a volcano. What's next, Blondie?" he muttered, straining against the oars as the waves fought back.
Lirien's eyes were locked on the island, her face taut. Her voice came low: "That's Kaelvora. I've been here before. That volcano… it's cursed."
The bracelet of Selya, strapped to Kain's waist, pulsed with heat, as if it recognized the name. The map trembled in his hands, its arrow blazing brighter. The air reeked of sulfur, stinging their nostrils.
"Cursed how? Spit it out," Kain demanded as the boat rocked in the churning water.
Lirien hesitated. The pendant around her neck flickered briefly, casting a shadow shaped like a broken crown onto the boat's wooden planks. "Not now…" she murmured, tucking it under her cloak. "My grandmother said Kaelvora's fire holds an ancient echo—a voice that prophesies the end."
Kain snorted as the boat scraped against the island's rocky shore. "Prophecies? Like the ones from your uncle who sends you chasing relics with no map?" he quipped.
Lirien shot him a sharp look. "We have a map now. And it's leading us."
The Ruby flared, the bracelet burned, and the map's arrow spun wildly before locking onto the volcano. "Perfect. The map's gone nuts," Kain growled, his heart racing.
A deep roar rumbled beneath the waves, and the water around the boat darkened.
On Kaelvora's shore, the black sand swallowed Kain's boots as he leapt from the boat, the Ruby sparking in his pocket. Lirien followed, dagger in hand, her pendant hidden beneath her cloak. The volcano's smoke stung their eyes.
Screams pierced the jungle, joined by streaks of black light tearing through the trees—lanterns of the Order of the Chain. "Our friends are back, Blondie. Perfect timing," Kain said, gripping the map, its arrow still pointing toward the volcano.
"They're after something here," Lirien whispered. "Run!"
The bracelet pulsed, hot. An explosion shook the island, flames licking the sky. Kain braced to sprint when an arrow whizzed past, embedding in the sand inches from his boot. He spun, the Ruby flaring. At the jungle's edge stood a young woman, about twenty-one, a scar slashing across her wrist, her bow drawn taut.
"Filthy Order!" she shouted, nocking another arrow.
"We're not with the Order, you lunatic!" Kain shot back, hands raised.
The bracelet flared, projecting ethereal red runes that danced in the air like living flames. "What the hell…?" Kain muttered.
Lirien's eyes widened. "That bracelet… it might be one of the relics," she said, her voice uncertain. "We need to protect it."
The archer hesitated, her scar glinting in the light. "You carry the volcano's curse!" she accused, pointing at the bracelet.
A beam of black light tore through the jungle, followed by a low chant: "The King will return, and the world will kneel…"
Kain dodged a silver chain that shattered a nearby tree. The Ruby in his pocket morphed into a blood-red sword. "Curse? Explain, Blondie!" he hissed.
Lirien raised a hand, her pendant pulsing with a flickering shadow. "We're enemies of the Order! We want to stop them!" she shouted to the archer.
The young woman wavered, her scar glowing faintly. "Lies! You carry cursed relics!" she insisted.
"Relics hold power, but their curses are a mystery," Lirien said, her voice steady. "I heard the chant. They're close."
The chant grew louder, deeper: "The King will return, and the world will kneel…"
"Talk fast, or we're targets for both sides!" Kain snarled as the ground shook with another explosion.
A silver chain sliced through the air. Kain rolled, his Ruby sword sparking. Lirien lunged, plunging her dagger into a cloaked figure's gut. The archer, eyes wide, fired an arrow that sank into another's shoulder. "I still don't trust you, but if you're against the Order, I'm with you!" she yelled, joining the fight.
Black light beams splintered trees around them. The chant echoed: "The King will return, and all will kneel…"
The bracelet pulsed, runes flaring briefly. "Selya's here, Lirien. I can feel it," Kain hissed, slicing through a chain. Flames devoured the jungle.
"If the Order wants Selya, she's important. We can't let them have her," Lirien said, resolute.
The archer, now named Sira, pointed to the ruins of a burned-out house. "My brothers are there! The Order torched everything!" she cried, charging toward the flaming jungle, Kain and Lirien on her heels.
The jungle swallowed them as they ran, the smell of ash thick in the air. The bracelet pulsed, its ethereal runes flickering before fading. Screams echoed ahead.
They reached a ravaged clearing. Two young natives lay on the ground, pierced by silver chains, their blood staining the earth. Sira dropped to her knees, clutching one's hand.
"No!" she screamed. The older one, eyes glassy, squeezed her hand weakly. "Avenge us…" he whispered before collapsing.
Sira trembled, her scar burning on her wrist. "That bracelet… it comes from the volcano. My village fears its fire," she murmured.
Kain clenched his fists, the Ruby blazing. "Damn Order…"
Lirien, dagger ready, pointed down the trail. "They're coming. Decide, Kain."
The map glowed, its arrow fixed on the volcano.
Kain gritted his teeth, rage boiling inside. "I'll tear them all apart!" he roared, the Ruby's sword extending in flames.
Sira's eyes blazed as she nocked her bow. "For my brothers!" she shouted, leading the charge.
Lirien ran alongside, dagger poised. Her pendant cast the fleeting shadow of a broken crown. Black light beams slashed through the forest. Cloaked figures emerged, chains flying. Kain blocked a strike, sparks erupting.
"Stay alive, Blondie and Archer!" he hissed as Sira's arrow pierced an enemy's chest.
Lirien spun, her dagger slicing another. Kain surged forward, the Ruby sword cleaving chains, blood spraying.
"This is for your brothers, Sira!" he shouted, eyes blazing.
The bracelet pulsed, runes glowing. The chant returned: "The King will return, and all will kneel…"
Kain froze, eyes wide. "Selya…"
Sira pointed to a smoking trail, the volcano's heat unbearable. "They're headed there! Follow me!"
Black light exploded behind them. The ground quaked, rocks tumbling from the slope. Suddenly, silver nets dropped from the trees—a trap. Cloaked figures appeared. One grabbed Lirien, a chain around her neck.
"Let her go, scum!" Kain growled.
The Ruby pulsed. He tried to summon its super speed, the world blurring. But Sira's shout broke his focus, and in a flash, he appeared behind her, stumbling.
"Damn it, Archer!" he muttered.
"How'd you get here?!" Sira asked, bewildered.
"You yelled, I got distracted! Stop yelling!" he snapped.
Sira fired an arrow, dropping the cloaked figure holding Lirien. She broke free, her dagger flashing, slashing throats. "I don't need a babysitter, Kain!" she hissed, eyes fierce.
Kain charged, the Ruby sword slicing chains, each strike echoing with Selya's presence. "Hold on, Selya!" he shouted as Lirien and Sira fought beside him.
The volcano rumbled, rocks crashing down. More nets fell, but Lirien cut them apart. "Move!"
Sira hesitated, staring at her brothers' bodies. "Vengeance won't bring them back…" she murmured. Then she raised her bow, resolute. "But my village trusted them. To the volcano!"
The map vibrated. The cave entrance erupted in black light. The chant echoed again: "The King will return, and all will kneel…"