Burnscar Firecrest's Arc

Chapter 3 of 4

Burnscar carried the cooling wax from the witness candle back inside the forge, placing it beside the stolen tome. The ancient spirits had shown her memories, but memories weren't enough to wake the others still sleeping beneath the earth. She needed a map—something that showed where the old pacts had been carved, where centaur bones might still be buried in unmarked graves. The merchant quarter held records, but those buildings crawled with humans even at night. Burnscar's flames flickered violet as she considered her options. The forest beyond Cliffside Shores stretched for miles, holding sacred bark trees that once bore treaty carvings. If any still stood, they would prove the blood oaths existed before humans claimed otherwise. She would search there next, gathering evidence piece by piece until no one could deny what had been stolen. But first, she needed to call for help. The old spirits couldn't answer if they didn't know she was working. Burnscar gathered purple-burning logs from the back of the forge and carried them outside. She arranged them in a circle, then breathed fire until they caught. Orange smoke spiraled upward, thick and bright against the dark sky. Any spirit passing through would see it. Any traveler who remembered the old ways would recognize the colors—purple for mourning, orange for action. She circled the fire three times, marking her claim. This was her signal, her announcement that the work had begun. The flames crackled and sent sparks into the air. Burnscar watched the smoke rise, carrying her message across Cliffside Shores and into the forest beyond. She had the tome, the witness candle's memories, and now a beacon to draw allies. The humans thought they'd buried the past, but Burnscar was digging it back up, one piece at a time. Soon others would join her, and together they would make the humans answer for every broken oath.