Leon left Greyhaven at first light, the Copper Star token cool in his pocket. The dead scout's clue burned in his mind: Northeast ravine. Behind the waterfall.
The journey took him through hills that sharpened into cliffs. By midday, he heard it—the roar of falling water. The ravine was deep, with a massive waterfall plunging into a churning pool at its end.
He was picking his way along slippery rocks when he heard combat. Peering around a boulder, he saw her.
A woman with twin axes fought eight Gloom-Stalkers—lean, shadowy predators. She moved with brutal efficiency, but they were flanking her, wearing her down. One scored a cut across her thigh. She grunted, kicked it back, but the fight was blocking his path to the waterfall.
Leon drew his katana, letting fire-essence heat the steel. He walked into the clearing.
The nearest Stalker lunged. He sidestepped, searing its flank with a heated slash. It shrieked and retreated.
"'Bout time!" the woman yelled without looking. "Left side's yours!"
She redoubled her assault. Leon fell into rhythm—step, cut, disengage. Between her ferocity and his precision, the remaining Stalkers fell.
She wiped blood from her cheek. "Not bad. Lyra."
"Leon."
"Heading to the weird glowy cave?" She jerked a thumb toward the waterfall.
He nodded.
"Temporary team-up? Clear the cave, split the shiny stuff."
Leon studied her. She was strong. She hadn't asked about his status. The memory of the fungal hive—the near-overwhelm—pressed on him.
"Temporary," he agreed.
---
They pushed through the waterfall into a cavern of echoing silence. On a pedestal in the center rested a crescent key of petrified wood, glowing blue.
As Leon's fingers closed around it, a presence pressed his mind:
"First Trial: Prove your worth against the Grove-Guardian. Key accepted."
The cavern trembled.
The wall behind the waterfall moved. Stone cracked. Roots, thick as thighs, erupted from the rock. Timber and stone twisted together, groaning as they knit into a towering humanoid form. It rose until its head brushed the ceiling three times Leon's height.
The Grove-Guardian.
Its body was ancient wood armored with stone plates. Vines hung like sinew. Two hollow pits burned with green light where its face should have been.
Lyra charged with a roar, axes flashing.
The fight had begun.
---
Chapter 15 End.