The marshes stretched before them like a gray sea, mist curling between twisted reeds and shallow pools. Adrian stepped carefully, boots sinking slightly into the soft mud. The Heart pulsed faintly in his dagger, a rhythm that guided his steps across hidden channels of firmer ground.
Kael led the way, long strides moving over the uneven terrain. Elara followed, eyes scanning the fog, hands resting lightly on her daggers. Adrian fell in step beside her, adjusting for roots and submerged hollows as she moved. Every misstep could be costly here.
"Shallow here," Kael muttered, kneeling to test a muddy patch with a staff. "Stick to the reeds. They'll support weight better."
Adrian nodded, adjusting his path. Elara moved past him, tracing the faint trail Kael had marked with subtle gestures. Their movements fell into rhythm, instinctive, without a word.
The marsh moaned around them, a low, shifting sound that made the hair on the back of Adrian's neck stand. Strange shapes moved in the fog—branches? Shadows? He couldn't be certain.
A splash echoed to their left. Adrian froze. Kael raised a hand, signaling the group to halt. A dark figure emerged from the mist, moving carefully between the shallow pools.
"Scouts," Kael whispered.
Adrian ducked behind a cluster of reeds. Elara crouched beside him, eyes narrowing. The figure stopped, scanning, then turned slightly—Kael slipped to intercept. Adrian adjusted the dagger's energy, sending a faint pulse across the water to distract the scout. The figure flinched, giving Kael the opening to disarm it without a sound.
Elara stepped forward, checking the figure quickly, then gesturing for Adrian to move past. Together, they navigated around the shallow pools, following Kael deeper into the mist.
Hours passed, the mist thickening, swallowing shapes and sounds alike. Adrian's boots grew heavy with mud. The Heart pulsed stronger, tugging him toward a darker cluster of trees and waterlogged stone.
"Elara," he whispered, pointing to a faint glow beneath the mist. "The artifact's pulse—stronger over there."
She crouched beside him, scanning the ground. "Faint wards," she said. "Freshly broken. Someone—or something—was here recently."
They moved slowly, stepping over cracked roots and small fissures in the mud. The faint glow became clearer: fragments of a destroyed outpost, runes etched into shards of stone scattered across the ground.
Kael knelt, brushing mud from one of the pieces. "Plume markings," he muttered. "They were studying this area. Looking for something… or someone."
Adrian picked up a shard, the Heart pulsing sharply against his palm. Energy rippled from the broken rune, fading into the mist. He glanced at Elara—her eyes were on the remaining runes, tracing the patterns instinctively. Their hands brushed as she handed him a fragment. Neither spoke, but the movement passed easily between them.
A low growl broke the stillness. Shapes moved beneath the shallow water, larger than any creature they'd seen in the marsh before. The surface rippled unnaturally, and debris floated past them with no visible source.
"Stay ready," Kael whispered, stepping into a defensive stance.
Adrian adjusted the dagger's energy, sending pulses across the water to probe for movement. Elara's daggers gleamed faintly as she crouched beside him.
Suddenly, something surged from the water—a dark, sinuous form. It moved faster than they anticipated, striking toward Kael. Adrian reacted instantly, channeling the Heart through his dagger to disrupt the attack. The creature shrieked, recoiling into the mist.
Elara pivoted, striking at the submerged figure with precise movements. Rocks and broken logs shifted underfoot, sending spray across the group, but each strike landed cleanly.
The creature retreated, disappearing beneath the water. Silence returned, broken only by the slow drip of water from reeds and the distant croak of unseen animals.
Kael exhaled, scanning the surrounding mist. "Not alone here," he said. "Move before more come."
They pressed on, weaving between reeds and broken stumps, the artifact's pulse growing fainter now but still guiding them. Adrian noticed Elara adjusting for hidden dips in the marsh, moving slightly ahead, then back to ensure the path was safe. Their steps aligned naturally, unspoken coordination carrying them forward.
Finally, the marsh began to thin. The mist lifted slightly, revealing a stretch of firm ground and the edge of a forested hill. The Heart's pulse steadied.
Kael paused, looking back at them. "We're out. For now."
Adrian wiped mud from his boots, glancing at Elara. She adjusted her pack and checked the daggers at her belt. Neither acknowledged the near-attack directly; it had passed, and so they moved forward, silently sharing the knowledge of what had just happened.
The path ahead was unclear, but the artifact was secure, and the marsh was behind them. The whispers of the Vale still echoed faintly in Adrian's mind, and the weight of the Heart thrummed in his hand.
Kael gestured toward the forested hill. "We keep moving. The next waypoint is just beyond. The Plume won't wait for us to rest."
Adrian and Elara followed, stepping carefully over exposed roots. The marsh was gone, but the mist lingered, curling around them like a reminder.
And somewhere deep in the forest ahead, the next challenge waited.