The air trembled with power, the violet sky stretching endlessly above the canyon as Argolaith and Kaelred faced the War Beast.
It towered over them, its crimson, molten scales pulsing with unbearable heat, its golden eyes burning like twin suns.
Each breath it exhaled cracked the very earth, the sheer weight of its presence bending the landscape.
Kaelred tightened his grip on his sword. "This is insane."
Argolaith smirked. "Just another day in our lives."
The War Beast roared, the force of its voice shattering stone, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked them off their feet.
Then, it charged.
A blur of destruction, its massive claws tore through the rock as it lunged, its molten body searing the air around it.
Argolaith and Kaelred leapt in opposite directions, barely avoiding the impact. The ground split open where the beast landed, molten rock spilling from the cracks.
Kaelred’s eyes widened. "It’s literally reshaping the terrain just by existing!"
Argolaith touched the Ring of Inscription, summoning a Rune of Swiftness to his body. "We’re not winning this by force. We need to outmaneuver it."
Kaelred nodded. "So, what’s the plan?"
Argolaith dodged another swipe and grinned. "Survive."
Just as the War Beast reared back, preparing to unleash another devastating attack, the sky darkened.
A shadow, massive and unrelenting, fell upon them.
Kaelred looked up. "What the hell is—"
A massive bird-like beast, at least ten times the size of the War Beast, descended with terrifying speed.
Its wings stretched across the sky like an eclipse, its body covered in dark, iridescent feathers that shimmered like obsidian, and its eyes glowed with ancient intelligence.
With a single, deafening screech, it descended upon the War Beast.
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The War Beast barely had time to react before the monstrous avian’s talons ripped into its body, lifting it off the ground as if it weighed nothing.
Half of the War Beast’s body was torn apart instantly, its molten flesh spilling onto the earth below, searing the stone to blackened glass.
Argolaith and Kaelred stood frozen, their minds struggling to comprehend the sheer power of what they were witnessing.
Kaelred’s voice came out in a whisper. "What… the fuck is that?"
Argolaith swallowed hard. "I-i have no idea."
The colossal bird’s wings flapped once, sending shockwaves through the canyon, and with a final screech, it flew into the violet sky, disappearing beyond the horizon—taking the remains of the War Beast with it.
It had completely ignored Argolaith and Kaelred.
Kaelred slowly sheathed his sword. "That… that thing just ate half of a War Beast like it was a snack."
Argolaith nodded slowly. "And it didn’t even acknowledge us."
A cold silence followed, the only sound being the sizzling of molten rock where the War Beast had been moments before.
Kaelred turned to Argolaith, his face pale. "So… do we count that as a win?"
Argolaith exhaled, his pulse still racing. "Let’s call it… an act of divine intervention."
Kaelred shook his head. "I don’t even want to know what kind of beast that was."
Argolaith smirked, his grip on his sword relaxing slightly. "Then let’s make sure we never have to find out."
But deep inside, he knew the world was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
In the distance, standing atop a crumbling ruin, a lone figure watched them.
Malakar, the Lich, had returned.
His violet eyes gleamed with amusement as he studied Argolaith and Kaelred.
"They survived," he mused, his voice a whisper against the wind.
His skeletal fingers tapped against his sword hilt, and for the first time in eons, a faint chuckle escaped his lips.
"Perhaps… this journey of theirs will be more interesting than I expected."
And with that, he stepped back into the shadows—once again following them from afar.
The air was thick with heat, the smell of charred stone and molten flesh still clinging to the canyon.
Argolaith and Kaelred stood side by side, their eyes locked on the smoldering remains of the War Beast that had nearly ended them.
Half of its massive body had been devoured by the monstrous bird-like creature that had descended upon it.
And what was left lay in ruin—seared muscle, glowing embers, and molten blood cooling into the jagged ground.
Kaelred let out a slow breath. "So… do we just leave this thing here?"
Argolaith shook his head, stepping forward and inspecting the mangled remains.
The temperature was still too high to touch, the molten rock around it still sizzling. He glanced at his storage ring, then at the beast’s corpse.
"We should take what’s left," he said simply.
Kaelred raised an eyebrow. "You think it’s safe to eat?"
Argolaith smirked. "It’s more than just food. This thing is powerful. There’s no telling what parts of it could be useful for elixirs or forging weapons."
Kaelred crossed his arms. "Fair point. Just… let it cool first. I don’t think your ring can store lava."
They waited, watching as the once-burning body gradually lost its heat, the molten core hardening into jagged black ridges.
The ground was still cracked, still radiating residual energy from the War Beast’s demise.
After a while, Argolaith raised his hand and activated the storage ring, sending what remained of the colossal corpse into the void.
The massive weight of the beast vanished in an instant, leaving only the ruined battlefield behind.
Kaelred let out a low whistle. "It’s still weird seeing that thing work."
Argolaith shrugged, flexing his fingers. "Saves me the trouble of dragging it."
Kaelred rolled his eyes. "Alright. Now that we’re not standing next to a monster carcass, let’s figure out where the hell we are."
The violet-hued sky loomed above them, casting eerie shadows over the canyon. Jagged rocks jutted from the earth, and ancient stone formations covered in weathered runes littered the terrain.
It was silent—too silent.
Not a single bird, not a single howl in the distance.
Kaelred turned, scanning their surroundings. "This place is wrong."
Argolaith nodded, keeping his senses sharp. "We need to move. There’s no telling what else might show up."
They began walking, keeping low and quiet, weaving through the natural cover the canyon provided.
The towering cliffs provided them with some protection, but it was clear they were in uncharted territory.
Then, in the distance—
Half-buried structures peeking through the jagged stone, their rooftops cracked, their walls covered in ancient carvings.
Some buildings had completely crumbled, overtaken by time, while others stood defiant against the ages.
Kaelred let out a low breath. "Looks like we’re not the first ones to step foot here."
Argolaith narrowed his eyes, scanning the area. "It’s hard to tell if this place is dead or just… waiting."
The ruins called to them, an unspoken mystery hidden within their depths.
But as they advanced, Argolaith felt something gnawing at the back of his mind.
His Five Trees, where were they now?
How far had they traveled since stepping through that portal?
He turned to Kaelred. "Have you felt your trees pulling you anywhere?"
Kaelred’s face twisted in thought before he shook his head. "Not really. But then again… I don’t even know where we are on Morgoth."
Argolaith exhaled, rubbing his temples. "We could be hundreds of thousands of miles from where we started. For all we know, we’re closer… or we’re halfway across the world."
Kaelred scowled. "That’s not comforting."
Argolaith smirked. "It wasn’t meant to be."
They fell into silence, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them.
Even though their Five Trees had once called to them, their guidance now felt faint, distant, as if shrouded by something unseen.
Argolaith clenched his fists. He would find them. No matter how far he had to go.
Unbeknownst to them, they were not alone.
Perched on a cliffside, half-concealed in the shadows, Malakar, the Lich, watched them with silent amusement.
His violet eyes flickered, his skeletal fingers resting against the hilt of his runed sword.
He had watched them slay beasts, uncover lost knowledge, and stand against forces far beyond mortal comprehension.
And yet, they still did not know how small they were in the grand scheme of things.
Malakar’s voice was a whisper against the wind. "Still reckless, but growing."
His gaze flickered toward the ruins ahead of them. A smirk formed on his skeletal lips."This should be interesting."
And with that, he stepped back into the darkness—his silent pursuit of Argolaith and Kaelred continuing.
The ruins loomed ahead, a testament to a forgotten era. Argolaith and Kaelred moved carefully, their weapons drawn, their senses sharp.
There was no telling what awaited them.
But one thing was certain—They had stepped into something far greater than they could have imagined.
And the path ahead?
It was only just beginning.
The fading twilight draped the ruined landscape in eerie hues of violet and silver as Argolaith and Kaelred found a suitable clearing between the ancient stone structures.
The ruins around them were silent, but there was no doubt that this place had once been alive, teeming with forgotten history.
For now, however, their primary concern was food and rest.
Kaelred sighed as he set down his satchel. "Alright, let’s get this fire going before we freeze to death. I don’t know if it’s just this place, but the air here feels colder than it should."
Argolaith nodded, already pulling out dry wood from his storage ring.
"Could be the lingering energy in this place. Or maybe it’s the fact that this entire land feels like it’s been untouched for a reason."
The fire crackled to life, its orange glow dancing against the crumbling ruins.
Argolaith reached into his storage ring, pulling out bundles of rare magical herbs and the edible portions of the War Beast’s meat that had cooled.
Kaelred watched as he laid out the ingredients. "You sure we should be eating that?"
Argolaith smirked. "If we refused to eat everything that’s a little bit strange, we’d have starved a long time ago."
Kaelred snorted but didn’t argue.