Chapter 14: Divided Paths

 Chapter 14: Divided Paths

The cold morning wind swept across Ember Hollows, rustling the leaves and carrying with it the dust of conflict. The sun struggled to break through heavy clouds hanging overhead, casting the world in muted tones that mirrored the tension between Elder Fig and the Luminaris family.

Nick and Beka stood bound before the assembly, their clothes smeared with dirt from being wrestled to the ground only moments before. A crowd of neighbors and local dignitaries circled them, many still holding torches from the frantic chase. Elder Fig paced back and forth, his jaw clenched and knuckles white around the hilt of his dagger.

“You let your children run off with dangerous beasts!” he spat, his voice echoing in the clearing. “Now they’re out there, causing more trouble. We’ll have a horde of wyverns storming Emberwood by sunset if we don’t stop them.”

Nick bristled. “Those ‘dangerous beasts’ were kidnapped by your men. We saved them from being exploited.”

Beka’s eyes blazed. “Our children are running because they know you’ll twist their every move. They’re protecting those wyverns from you.”

Fig slammed the flat of his dagger against his thigh. “You dare? Your children have stolen property of Emberfalls—deadly creatures that threaten everyone here. I won’t have them endangering my—our—community.”

At this, a murmur swept through the assembly. Several onlookers exchanged uneasy glances. One man ventured, “But, Elder, they’re just kids…”

Fig cut him off with a sharp gesture. “I don’t care how old they are. If they interfere with the good of Emberfalls, my men will find them.”

Beka’s face paled. “If your men hurt our children, you’ll be the one endangering this community.”

Nick pulled against his bindings. “Leave them alone, Fig. You’ve got us—let them go.”

Fig’s hand twitched on his dagger. Fury churned behind his eyes, but he managed to keep his voice level. “My men have orders: bring back those kids and those wyverns… one way or another.”

A small group of rough-looking men stepped forward, nodding grimly before stalking off into the trees. A hush settled over the rest of the crowd. Fig glared, daring anyone to argue further.

Meanwhile, some distance away, Ariel and Noah tore through the undergrowth, branches whipping their faces as adrenaline spurred them faster than they ever thought possible. Behind them thundered the heavy footsteps and wingbeats of three wyverns—Neo, Silverwing, and their newly freed sibling—along with the lighter beats of Zed’s hooves.

“We can’t stop!” Ariel gasped. “Fig’s men—they’ll be after us!”

Noah looked over his shoulder, cheeks flushed. “It’s at least two days to the mountains if Dad’s stories are right. Do you even know where in Drakeclaw Vale we’re supposed to go?”

Ariel shook her head, panic flickering across her face. “No idea… but we have to get away.”

Branches snapped somewhere behind them, and a distant shout reverberated through the trees. They sprinted on, guided only by the fear of capture and the desperate need to protect the wyverns.

Back in the clearing, Fig’s men yanked Nick and Beka through the thinning throng. Torchlight danced against the graying sky. Some of the assembly members shifted uneasily; they had known the Luminaris family for years and weren’t sure what to believe.

“Take them to Emberfalls,” Fig commanded. “We’ll hold a tribunal. Let’s see if they can explain themselves.”

One of the elders, Marisol, frowned as she looked at Nick and Beka. “All these years you’ve served the community… building houses, sharing unicorn magic. Why would you suddenly shelter wyverns?”

Nick seized the chance to speak. “Because they were never attacking. Fig’s men stole them from Drakeclaw Vale. We saved them, and now he’s spinning a story to paint us as traitors.”

Beka’s voice trembled with anger. “He wants our ranch to exploit our unicorns. We have no reason to lie.”

Fig folded his arms. “Who would you believe—the ones who built Emberfalls’ defenses or a family harboring dangerous creatures? We’ll settle this in Emberfalls.”

A few in the crowd still seemed unconvinced, but none spoke up further. Nick and Beka were shoved toward a horse-drawn cart as Fig climbed into his own wagon. Their eyes scanned the tree line, hoping to spot their children—but the woods stood silent.

Deeper within those woods, Ariel and Noah finally paused in a small glade, leaves dripping dew in the early light. Their hearts pounded as they tried to catch their breath. The three wyverns gathered around, horns gleaming faintly, muscles quivering with tension. Zed collapsed at Ariel’s feet, exhausted.

Neo scented the air, and Silverwing gave a low rumble of concern. Ariel closed her eyes, reaching for that uncanny bond she’d formed with them. She felt flickers of direction—an image of jagged peaks in some hidden part of Drakeclaw Vale.

“They can lead us,” she told Noah softly. “But once we reach their home, how do we prove our innocence? How do we show everyone that Fig’s the one lying?”

Noah shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe if we get them home, we’ll find something to prove they were stolen. Dad always said the truth can’t hide forever.”

Before either could say more, an arrow hissed through the air. It struck Neo in the flank, and he reared back with a roar of pain, flame spurting from his jaws in startled reflex.

“Neo!” Ariel cried, rushing to shield him. A second arrow whistled overhead, slicing into a nearby tree. Shouts echoed behind the foliage.

Silverwing snarled, flames licking from his jaws. He spewed fire at the patch of ground between them and the unseen archers, setting the ferns ablaze. The men cursed, reeling from the sudden inferno. Ariel and Noah seized the opening, guiding the injured Neo deeper into the forest. Though he limped, the wyvern forced himself onward, spurred by the same desperate need to escape.

Meanwhile, far from the fray, Silvermist perched on a ridge above the Luminaris ranch. Below her stood dozens of unicorns—mothers herding their Uni foals, older stallions standing watch. They had gathered just as Beka commanded, leading the herd away from the ranch’s heart to keep them safe from Fig’s grasp.

But even as the morning stretched on, a line of torches emerged across the meadow. First one, then two… until it looked like a slow-moving fire consuming the horizon. Silvermist glanced over at Celeste, another elder unicorn, her luminescent horn revealing the same worry in her eyes.

Men with torches were marching toward the ranch. Their expressions were grim, and their approach swift. In the hush that gripped the herd, foals pressed against their mothers, eyes bright with fear. Silvermist stomped a hoof, body trembling with indecision. Should they stand and fight to protect the ranch, risking the men twisting the truth to brand them as vicious? Or should they flee, leaving the ranch unguarded and vulnerable to Fig’s designs?

Celeste snorted, nostrils flaring as the men reached the fence line. There was no time to debate further. However they chose to act—whether to vanish into the meadow’s depths or confront the intruders—it would have to be now.

And so, while Beka and Nick faced judgment in Emberfalls, and Ariel and Noah ran deeper into the wilds with three wounded, frightened wyverns in tow, the unicorns at the ranch were left to make their own stand. In every direction, Emberwood was splitting apart at the seams, caught in a whirlwind of fear and betrayal… and perhaps, for those willing to fight for it, a chance at salvation.