ONLINE: Blades of Eternity

The cool night wind whispered across the cobbled streets of the Crescent Paw settlement as Kaelen and Kelvin exited the tavern. Despite the casual demeanor they wore beneath their cloaks, their minds were racing with urgency. The system's warning about the town's impending doom echoed in both of their thoughts like a tolling bell.

But rushing headlong into a fight would be suicide. They needed information—real, tangible knowledge about how this town worked and what rules dictated its people. If they were to protect the settlement, they'd first need to survive in it.

They kept their heads low and steps deliberate, slipping into darkened alleys and out of plain sight. The first order of business: understanding the basics.

Currency.

After tailing a pair of gruff-looking bearkin merchants to a general stall, Kaelen observed as they exchanged what looked like obsidian shards wrapped in silver wire. He watched the seller inspect each shard carefully before nodding and handing over a sack of goods.

Later, from behind a hanging rug, they eavesdropped on an argument between a raccoonkin and a molekin over coinage. Apparently, Shadra Shards—refined pieces of a special obsidian-like mineral imbued with mana—were the currency of this region.

Food.

Slipping past an open-air kitchen, Kelvin motioned for Kaelen to pause. The scent of roasting meat and spice hit them immediately. A boarkin chef was flipping seared meat over a massive slab of enchanted stone, while a few birdkin children eagerly waited.

"Mana-infused meat. Needs to be cooked just right or it can make people sick," whispered a patron to another, giving Kaelen and Kelvin another mental note. Everything in this town was soaked in magic, even their food.

Attitudes toward outsiders.

That part became obvious soon enough.

They spotted a trio of cloaked travelers near the town's north plaza being cornered by guards. The foxkin captain barked something about "scent of foreign blood" and "no trust for outsiders." Though the travelers were eventually let go, it was only after intense scrutiny and the display of rare permits.

Kaelen and Kelvin glanced at each other beneath their hoods.

"This place is hostile to anyone not born here," Kaelen muttered.

Kelvin's lips curled in frustration. "Figures. We're going to have to be ghosts if we want to keep our heads."

By midnight, they'd gathered enough street-level knowledge. And now, it was time to find a map—anything to show them the layout of the land, nearby towns, or possible human territories.

A quiet sign caught their eye, swinging gently above a crooked shop nestled between two larger buildings.

'Elya's Curio & Chart Emporium.'

They slipped inside, careful not to draw attention. The interior was dimly lit by floating orbs of soft blue light. Rows of ancient scrolls, leather-bound atlases, and magical compasses lined the walls. Faint music played from a crystal in the corner, setting a surprisingly calm mood.

A soft voice startled them.

"Welcome."

They turned to see a foxkin girl standing behind the counter. She looked to be around their age—maybe sixteen or seventeen—with warm golden fur, a pair of tall, twitching ears, and sharp eyes filled with curiosity. Her long tail swayed slowly behind her as she smiled politely.

Her clothes were practical—travel-ready pants, a soft sleeveless tunic, and a belt with various pouches and trinkets. A tiny monocle with glowing runes hung from a necklace at her chest.

"You two smell… different," she said softly, not unkindly. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Kaelen and Kelvin remained still, neither confirming nor denying.

Kelvin gave a casual shrug. "We're travelers. Trying not to get too lost."

The girl tilted her head. "Mmhm. I get that a lot. Still, most travelers at least say where they're from. But alright, keep your secrets."

She stepped aside and gestured to a small rack of enchanted maps behind her. "If you're looking to find your way around the region, you're in the right place. I have enchanted charts, walking route scrolls, beast territory guides—though they cost extra—and even a few ancient maps, if you're into weird old stuff."

Kaelen stepped forward, his eyes drifting toward a rolled-up parchment glowing faintly blue. "Do you have anything that shows… human territories?"

The girl blinked. "Human…? You mean the east?"

Kaelen didn't reply. Neither did Kelvin.

She leaned over the counter, lowering her voice. "You're either braver than most to want to go there… or desperate. Because if the rumors are true, the east has become nothing but bone and dust. The Dark Eternal is draining the land dry. Entire cities are vanishing. No one wants to trade there anymore. No caravans go east now."

Kaelen's eyes darkened.

Kelvin exhaled. "Just show us what you have."

The girl nodded slowly and reached beneath the counter, placing a rolled scroll on the surface with reverence. "It's not cheap. This one updates itself with shifting territories. But if you're serious about surviving what's to come, it might be the best investment you make."

Kaelen reached into his cloak and pulled out several of the Shadra Shards they had taken from a defeated forest creature's pouch earlier. The girl studied them, then nodded in approval.

"Deal."

As she wrapped the scroll in protective wax-leather and handed it over, she added, "Be careful. The forest around us is whispering strange things. Shadows that devour light. Beasts that scream like men. Even the sky has been flickering red some nights."

Kaelen took the scroll carefully. "Thanks for the warning."

The foxkin girl smiled faintly. "Try not to die."

Without another word, Kaelen and Kelvin stepped out into the night again. The scroll was tucked beneath Kaelen's arm, and the fate of the Beastkin town still hovered like a blade above their heads.

But they were moving forward now—toward a mission… toward survival… and toward the storm that Endless had unleashed upon the world.

And so, the cold breath of night wrapped itself tightly around the forest as Kaelen and Kelvin crept beyond the outskirts of the beastkin town, silent as shadows. They moved with purpose, careful not to draw attention to themselves. Even with cloaks, enchanted scrolls, and knowledge on their side, they knew the margin for error was razor-thin.

By the time they reached the outskirts—a jagged ravine nestled beneath a cliff with a moss-covered cave tucked away—they were exhausted. The trek had taken its toll. Their muscles ached, and their thoughts were heavy with everything they had learned.

Kelvin struck a spark with a small flint stone, igniting a low fire inside the cavern, just enough for warmth and visibility without giving away their position. Kaelen slumped against the wall, unslinging the newly acquired scroll from his shoulder.

"Let's see where we really are," he muttered, unraveling the scroll across a flat stone.

As it spread open, a gentle blue glow pulsed along its surface. The mana-imbued parchment shimmered to life, rendering a vast continent—larger than either of them had imagined.

Kelvin crouched beside him, his expression hardening the moment he spotted their current position.

"…There," he said, pointing to a region labeled in ancient script: Kharon Wilds – Beastkin Sovereignty.

Their gazes slowly traveled eastward across the parchment. Mountains marked The Ridge of Echoing Souls, dense swamps dubbed The Marshes of Grohl, and forests blackened with ink labeled Domain of the Hybrids. Then came Vhorrak's Spine, a jagged landmass marked by blood-red veins… The Ogralands. Only then, far on the easternmost edge, did the first signs of human cities appear—Valoria, Eldoria, Arcanis.

"…We're halfway across the world," Kaelen whispered, stunned.

Kelvin's hand curled into a fist. "No wonder the mana feels different here. We're deep in foreign soil—real deep."

They exchanged a long, heavy look. The thought of traveling through the domains of elves, ogres, hybrids, and who knew what else wasn't just daunting—it was suicide. Especially with Endless moving unchecked through the human territory, draining mana veins like a god with no rivals.

"…We're cut off," Kelvin said grimly.

But Kaelen slowly shook his head, eyes burning with quiet resolve. "No… not cut off. Delayed."

Kelvin raised an eyebrow.

Kaelen clenched the edge of the map. "We'll make it back. We have to. We finish this mission—whatever the system meant by 'saving this town from damnation'—then we leave. We find the shortest path through all these lands. And when we get back, we take the fight to Endless."

Kelvin stared at him for a long moment, then gave a tired but firm nod. "Alright. But we'll need allies. Power. And we can't afford to expose ourselves recklessly. Too many kingdoms would love to rip us apart just to earn favor with that monster."

Kaelen closed his eyes briefly, feeling the unfamiliar yet undeniable energy of the Magic Pandora pulsing in his core. "I'll do whatever it takes."

The silence that followed was tense but oddly reassuring. Both of them had changed. Their weapons had changed. Their goals had sharpened into something more than survival. This was war now.

Suddenly—

BOOOOOOM!

A loud, thunderous crack split the night sky like a cannon blast. A red glow flared from the direction of the town, casting eerie shadows against the cliffside.

Both of them shot up, hearts racing.

"An alarm?" Kaelen asked, his voice alert.

Kelvin unsheathed his scythe, its obsidian edge glowing faintly with red runes. "That didn't sound like a celebration."

Kaelen ran to the edge of the cave and looked over the forest canopy. From their vantage, they could barely make out the distant town—but what they could see was the flash of red sigils high in the air above it, forming a massive arcane circle.

"Magic barriers being activated," Kelvin muttered. "That's a defensive spell… they're being attacked."

Kaelen frowned. "The system said we had to save the town… is this what it meant?"

Another explosion rocked the distance—this time followed by a pillar of fire erupting near the west gate.

Then, the night wind carried a new sound.

Screams.

Kelvin's eyes narrowed. "We don't have time to wait."

Kaelen grabbed his blade and stood tall, the Blade of Eternity responding with a sharp hum as it pulsed to life.

"Let's move."

And with that, they rushed out into the night, toward the burning town, their cloaks flaring behind them, prepared to throw themselves against whatever came to threaten the last pocket of peace they'd stumbled into.