The sanctuary was behind them.
At Branthollow's edge, beasts gathered in silence. A stag that once limped now stood steady, healed when the sanctuary was touched by the Codex's surge. A lone wolf sat near the treeline, its eyes faintly green with the same lingering light. Sparrows lined the rooftops, wings restless but calm, while bristlebacks pawed the dirt without growls.
They were unbonded, yet not defenseless. The Codex's resonance had sunk into the roots of this place, an anchor against chains. Shackles faltered here; Dominion's marks would not hold easily.
Mira lowered her bow, her voice hushed."Even without you… this place protects them."
The Codex stirred in Draven's mind:"Roots hold. Chains falter."
Behind him, his bonded Servitors shimmered into faint emerald runes and sank into the Codex. Goat, Hound, Mule, Ox, Pig, and Birds — not gone, only resting, waiting until they chose to emerge again.
Only Feyra walked at his side, blossoms rising in her steps. Stonehide followed like a living fortress, and high above, the Thunder Raven circled, scattering violet sparks into the dawn.
Draven tightened his grip on the halberd. For the first time, he did not walk alone.
By midday, a tusked boar and lean wildcat appeared on the path. They froze, hackles raised, eyes locked on the lotus mark glowing faint green on Draven's chest. Then, slowly, their muscles eased. The boar pawed once at the earth before retreating, the cat slipping back into shadow.
Mira whispered, wide-eyed. "They didn't even try."
Draven's reply was steady. "Not fear. Recognition."
The Codex flickered again:"Storm steadies roots. Winds carry choice."
The trees stirred as the wind passed, like unseen wings brushing the canopy.
That night, the fire burned low, embers spiraling into the star-filled sky.
Mira broke the silence. "What happened in those ruins? You don't walk like the same man."
Draven's eyes stayed on the flames. "Not chains. Not contracts. Something older chose me."
"And now?" she asked.
His fist clenched, lotus burning faint beneath his chest. "If I stop, chains spread. If I move, they crack."
Her words came soft, but certain. "You fight like the storm."
The Raven shrieked above, thunder in its cry.
"You move like thunder."
Draven's halberd caught the firelight as he rose, lotus blazing."And I'll break chains," he said, "as if the wind itself carved the path."
The words fell heavy, carrying the weight of prophecy.
Unseen, the forest carried another presence.
Dominion scouts slipped between the trees, cloaked in dark cloth, blades dulled to drink the moonlight. One crouched low, carving a notch into bark — a coded signal. Another leaned close, voice ragged."Three Nobles… I counted them. No marks. No chains."
For a moment, silence pressed down, colder than the night air. Even hardened men of the Dominion felt unease at the thought.
The leader's face was half-shadow, but his voice was sharp, trembling."Chainbreaker walks."
The words hung like a curse. Even the forest seemed to listen.
Then the leader motioned east. They vanished, leaving only the silent marks on bark — a trail that would lead to Dominion generals, and further still, into the hands of the Chainkeepers.
And there, decisions would be made.
Draven leaned back against the earth, Codex steady in his mind. Feyra curled at his side, Stonehide's breath rumbled deep, and Raven's shadow wheeled above the stars.
The fire sank to embers, and the wind rose — not wild, but steady, like wings unseen in the dark.
The storm had begun to move.And soon, the winds would answer.