Kael moved cautiously through the dense woods of the Reach, the towering pines and jagged rocks creating a labyrinth of natural defenses. His senses, heightened by the tin burning in his metalmind, picked up every faint sound—the rustle of leaves in the wind, the distant call of a bird, the faint crack of a twig somewhere far off. The Forsworn were out here, hidden in the wilderness, and Kael was determined to find them.

The faint signs of human activity became more apparent as he moved deeper into the forest. A trampled trail wound through the underbrush, the grass beaten down by heavy boots. Here and there, he spotted marks on the trees—crude carvings and splashes of red dye that looked like symbols. These markers reminded him of the rituals he’d disrupted in the past few days. His stomach turned at the thought of what lay ahead, but he pressed on, using steel pushes to navigate the rocky terrain with ease.

As he crested a ridge, the smell of smoke reached him—thin but unmistakable. He crouched low, creeping toward the edge of the cliff and peering down into a small clearing below. What he saw made his blood run cold. A Forsworn camp sprawled in the open space, crude tents and bone totems scattered among the trees with another big pit near the middle of camp. A central fire crackled, its smoke curling lazily into the sky. The Forsworn moved about the camp, their weapons gleaming in the firelight, but Kael’s attention was drawn to the prisoners tied to a large wooden post in the middle of the clearing.

Men, women, and even children sat slumped against the post, their wrists bound with coarse rope. Their faces were pale, streaked with dirt and exhaustion, and their clothes were tattered. Kael felt his jaw tighten as he counted a dozen Forsworn patrolling the camp, their bone-decorated armor lending them an intimidating appearance. The prisoners were outnumbered, unarmed, and completely vulnerable.

Kael crouched on the ridge, watching as the wiry Forsworn leader barked orders at his warriors, gesturing toward the prisoners tied to the central post. The other Forsworn laughed, their voices dripping with malice. One of them hefted a blade and strode toward the captives, his intent clear.

Kael didn’t think—he acted. Burning pewter to flood his body with strength, he leapt down the ridge, his boots hitting the ground hard enough to send a burst of dust into the air. His sudden appearance froze the Forsworn for a heartbeat, but Kael was already moving. Burning steel, he focused on the leader’s belt buckle, pushing it with all his might. The wiry man jerked forward with a strangled cry, his balance thrown off as Kael closed the distance and drove his sword into the leader’s chest.

The camp erupted into chaos.

Kael’s next move was instinctive. He burned steel again, his senses sharpening as the blue lines connecting him to every piece of metal in the camp glowed vividly in his vision. Weapons, buckles, arrowheads—anything metal was fair game. With a powerful steel push, he sent coins flying toward the guards closest to the prisoners, aiming for vital points. One struck a warrior in the throat, another in the temple, dropping them before they could reach the captives.

The Forsworn roared in anger, rallying to fight, but Kael didn’t give them a chance to regroup. He darted toward the central post, slashing through the ropes binding the captives as the first wave of warriors charged him.

“Stay behind me!” he barked at the prisoners, shoving them toward the far side of the clearing.

A Forsworn woman, her armor adorned with bones, lunged at Kael with a dagger that she managed to hold onto. He sidestepped her strike, his movements fluid and precise, and burned iron to pull a discarded spear into his hand. With a single pewter-enhanced thrust, he sent her sprawling. Another warrior swung a heavy axe at his back, but Kael pushed off the axe’s metal head, sending the weapon flying from its wielder’s grasp. He spun, kicking the man in the chest and sending him crashing into the dirt.

The remaining Forsworn regrouped, their expressions a mix of rage and wariness. Kael could see them glancing at the prisoners, their cruel intentions clear. He wouldn’t give them the chance.

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Burning more steel, Kael launched himself into the air, propelling off a metal cooking pot near the fire. As he soared above the camp, he flared steel and sent a barrage of coins raining down on the warriors below. Each coin struck with deadly precision, piercing armor and flesh alike. The Forsworn scattered, their numbers dwindling with every calculated strike.

Kael landed hard, his knees absorbing the impact as he flared pewter to steady himself. Another warrior charged at him, swinging a crude mace, but Kael burned iron, yanking the weapon from his grip. He followed up with a steel push that sent the warrior careening backward into a wooden post.

The final Forsworn, a hulking brute with a jagged sword, roared and charged. Kael met him head-on, his blade clashing with the brute’s in a shower of sparks. The man was strong, his blows heavy and relentless, but Kael’s pewter-fueled strength and speed kept him ahead of the attacks. With a feint and a quick sidestep, Kael drove his sword into the brute’s side, ending the fight.

Silence fell over the camp, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the labored breathing of the captives. Kael straightened, his body still thrumming with energy from the metals burning in his stomach. He turned to the prisoners, who were staring at him with wide eyes.

“You’re safe now,” Kael said, sheathing his sword. His voice was calm, but his gaze was sharp, scanning the clearing for any lingering threats.

One of the captives, an older man with a gaunt face, staggered to his feet. “Who… who are you?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Kael knelt and pulled out a knife, slicing through the ropes that bound the man’s wrists. “Someone who doesn’t like the Forsworn,” he said simply. “Are you alright?”

The man nodded weakly as Kael moved to free the others. “We’ve been here for days,” he said. “They took us from our village… we thought they were going to ransom us, but…”

His voice trailed off, and a woman with fierce green eyes cut in, her tone laced with bitterness. “They weren’t planning to ransom us. They were going to sacrifice us.”

Kael paused, his knife still in hand. “Sacrifice? For what?”

The woman rubbed her wrists where the ropes had bitten into her skin. “They kept talking about a ritual,” she said grimly. “Something to call on their patron. They said it would give them the power to take back the Reach.”

Another prisoner, a young man with hollow cheeks, nodded. “They said the more people they sacrificed, the stronger the ritual would be. Villages all across the Reach are being raided for captives.”

Kael felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn’t just a random act of violence—it was part of a coordinated effort. The camps he’d destroyed, the altars and bones he’d seen—it all pointed to something far more sinister. He clenched his fists, the weight of their words sinking in.

“Is there a village nearby?” Kael asked, his voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside him.

The older man nodded. “A half day’s walk south. It’s safe there—at least for now.”

Kael helped the captives salvage what they could from the camp—blankets, food, and weapons left behind by the Forsworn. As they prepared to leave, the woman with green eyes stopped and looked at him.

“What about you?” she asked. “What are you going to do?”

Kael’s gaze flicked back to the ruined camp, the twisted totems and scattered bones serving as a grim reminder of what the Forsworn were capable of. “I’m going to stop this,” he said firmly. “Whatever it takes.”

The captives exchanged uneasy glances but nodded. They thanked him quietly, their voices heavy with emotion, before disappearing into the forest.

Kael stood in the clearing, watching the captives disappear into the dense forest. The weight of what he had learned pressed heavily on him, but there was a flicker of hope in seeing the prisoners walk free. He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, his thoughts already turning to his next move.

A scream ripped through the forest, sharp and filled with terror. Kael’s head snapped up, his heart pounding as adrenaline surged through his veins. Burning steel, he launched himself into the air, propelling forward in bursts to cover ground quickly. His tin flared now, sharpening his senses to catch every sound, every detail. The screams grew louder, frantic, and he cursed himself for letting his guard down.