Chapter 9: Whispers in the Wind

Another quietly calm day, at least another most since Kael started living in the village. A gentle rustle of the wind through the trees, singing birds in the distance, and the low hum of daily activity far away. It's what made it stand out, however, was inside that day itself. Kael sat outside his small house, surveying the village as the rising sun started to paint the sky red and gold, adding touches of pink to the horizon. Fear hung in the air, reservation and all, but now there.

Erasa sat in the village square with Lyra speaking over the festival preparations in honor of harvest time. The village was alive, allowing them to make their preparations, and the tables for an evening feast. Kael stood far enough off a few paces, feigning indifference in the emptiness of the air as he let his thoughts wander.

"Too quiet today, Kael." the Legacy of the Cosmos thought to himself with a light and serious voice at the same time. "Do you feel that change in the air?"

Kael nodded to himself, keeping as low a profile as possible. "Something's off. It is close to the calm before the storm."

"Perhaps it's the Harbingers of Dissonance?" Legacy mused. "They've been awfully quiet since your arrival. But quiet never means harmless."

Harbingers were seeping more and more into Kael's mind. There still was nothing much understood about their ability, though rumors of what they had been planning had begun-scheming to wreak havoc in the area, to strike at the places where people's defenses were weakest. Kael knew they were lethal, but with his power, they wouldn't be a threat. His concern lay with the village and the people for whom he had grown.

But as the sun climbed higher in the sky, children's laughter and shouting filled the air as they chased each other about. Smiling to himself, a soft warm smile, Kael let the innocence and joyousness clear over him. Unbeknownst to them-not a danger in their path-they played in the square. Such were the moments when life presented itself in simplicity that Kael had found a sense of , thought he never to find a world so far from his original life.

Lyra noticed Kael watching and made her way over, her brow furrowed. "You're staring off into space again. What's going on?" she asked, folding her arms as she stood before him.

He looked up to keep them into hers with a reassuring smile. "Just thinking," he said. "Everything seems okay, but I just get this feeling that something's coming."

But Lyra only smiled softly, concern still written across her face. "Well, if anybody can handle whatever comes, it's you," she continued. "I've seen how easy it is for you to settle here, and you're always. prepared." She paused, then narrowed her eyes slightly. "It's almost as if you're waiting on something."

Kael's heart missed a beat. He had never confessed to anyone, not even Lyra, but somehow she knew whatever was in his mind. He managed no response before the faraway rumble, low and far away but unmistakable, sounded.

Then Lyra's laughing face vanished and her eyes leapt wide with horror. "Did you hear that?"

Kael stood up, nodding once. His senses grew acute, and the air around seemed to change. The village fell silent, holding its collective breath as if nature was holding hers. Then came thunder rolled in from afar, growing louder and more unmistakably characteristic of a storm but the sky above remained clear.

Erasa stood beside Lyra now, her face white. "Kael... something's coming. The elders felt a commotion in the world."

"Harbingers," Kael said, his voice a murmur.

Again, in his head, The Legacy of the Cosmos spoke, "They have made their move. They will test the village, probe for weaknesses."

"Why now?" Kael pondered.

"Because they feel something strong here. Something they cannot understand," said the Legacy in a faintly amused voice. "And, of course, that something, naturally enough, is you."

Kael gripped his fists. He could feel dark, warped power amassing within approaching forces, a stain on the natural flow of life in the region. The Harbingers were not common cultivators: they were commanding discordant energy—the kind of power which warps reality and brings chaos wherever it walks. Kael knew they didn't threaten him immediately but they posed an immediate threat to the village.

Without hesitation, Kael strode towards the village edge, calm in countenance but sharp in eye. "Stay here, Lyra, Erasa," he commanded. "I will take care of this."

"Kael, you can't—" she began to protest, but he was off and gone before she could say another word, no time for argument.

And when he reached upon its brink, dark fell across the sky and leaves winded violent without a stiff breath of air in them. Heavy fog rolled, writhing like some living thing, and amid it the forms of things began the shapes, thin, flickering, dying embers.

The Harbingers.

Five emerged forward, their eyes aglow with unnatural light, dark auras washing around them in thick, floating mist. Their leader, a tall figure swathed in tattered robes, stepped forward. His face obscured by the furled hood, Kael felt a wave of spite emanate from him.

"That's the boy they were talking about," hissed the leader, his voice echoing like a chorus of whispers. "The village protector," he sneered. "You think you can stop us?"

Kael stood his ground, face serene. "I have no desire to fight, however," he said. "Leave the village. Nothing will be done to you."

The leader laughed, a cold, grating sound that sent a chill through the air. "You misunderstand. We do not seek your approval. This village is a pawn in a much larger game—a game you cannot possibly comprehend."

Kael didn't flinch. "Try me."

He flicked a wave of his wrist, tapping open a paroxysm of dissonant energy, twisting the air around him. Behind him, the other Harbingers followed in full and rambling stretches, moving through the fog, bending reality. The earth cracked open before them, and tension was thick in the air.

Kael sighed. He would not allow them to know his strength, but he could not let them ruin the village. "Legacy," he called out in his mind. "What would be the easiest that no one will get frightened and turn on themselves?

"Honestly, Kael, you could just snap your fingers and they'd be gone," the Legacy said casually. "But that might raise a few questions, don't you think?"

Kael grinned. "Yeah. Let's make it easy then."

And so, with the Harbingers shooting that cacophonous energy at him, Kael advanced, and in the flicker of a moment it vanished into nowhere. The Harbingers were frozen; their bulging eyes reflected shock.

"What--- what is this?" he stuttered now, his voice shaking for the first time.

Kael pushed off from his feet, eyes mild but unyielding. "This is the last time. Begone."

The composure of the leader was ruffled, yet too proud in him to retire. "You. you can't—

He barely had an opportunity to finish the question. Kael nodded, and the dark energy surrounding the Harbingers dispersed completely. The mist cleared itself; the sky was purified, and the earth stabilized under them.

He stood there, silent and still, looking over at Kael as he stepped back. "Who... who are you?" he barely whispered, his voice creeping with fear.

No word escaped Kael's lips. He merely gazed at them, his eyes probing too deep in their souls. The silence was oppressive as the Harbingers realized it was all over. They retreated back into the forest without another word.

He walked back as life returned to the village. On the edge of the square, he stood anxiously gazing in his direction. Lyra looked at him puzzled amidst mixed emotions of curiosity, while Erasa with full eyes full of wonder looked at him.

"You did not even... do anything," Lyra spoke almost whispering.

Kael shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Sometimes," he said softly, "the best way to fight is not to fight at all."

Lyra shook her head, highly dissatisfied with his reply. "There is more to you than what you allow us to see, Kael. than one day you will have to tell us the truth."

Kael met her gaze, the weight of his secret pressing down on him. He knew that day was coming, but for now, the village was safe, and that was enough.

The sun was set to warm up and paint the whole village in golden hues; there sat Kael, still dazed, as everything got back to business---preparations for the festival resumed, children laughed and played once more, villagers went about their routine activities as if nothing really happened.

But Kael knew better. The Harbingers of Dissonance were just the first wave. More was yet to come, more questions about his place in this world; but for now, it was the life among the villagers, simplicity of things, and peace that he shall carry on living by. Even for just a minute from now.