Chapter 157. Perils of the Birch Forest

Celeste’s POV

We needed to press on eastward—that was our destination—so we continued marching in that direction, eyes peeled for anything that might point us toward Emberfang Village. The new birch forest just east of the Blood Moon settlement stretched out before us, pale trunks rising against the sky, their crimson leaves drifting to the ground like embers.

Yet, despite our hopes, the only discoveries we made were four peculiar stones set in the underbrush, each roughly the size of a fist. I knelt beside them, brushing away fallen leaves, but I couldn’t discern their purpose. That’s when Luneth stepped forward with a sudden spark of insight.

“You see these four stones?” he said, raising his voice so we could all hear. His tone carried the confidence I knew he drew from our collective trust. “They’re each aligned with one of the cardinal directions. Here’s what we’ll do: split into four parties of two, and each team go off in a different direction. I’m ce