Argolaith selected a deep crimson herb, one that pulsed faintly with mana. "This is Emberleaf, should help counteract any potential toxins in the meat."
He crushed the leaves between his fingers, the aromatic essence releasing a wave of warmth as he sprinkled it over the slabs of War Beast meat.
Next, he took Lominara Root, a twisted silver plant known to enhance stamina and reaction speed, and sliced it into thin strips. "This will give us a boost after we eat."
Kaelred raised an eyebrow as Argolaith pulled out another ingredient—a dark purple flower with glowing veins.
"And what’s that one?"
Argolaith smirked. "Shadebloom. This one’s a gamble—it enhances natural abilities, but if not prepared properly, it can cause hallucinations."
Kaelred gave him a deadpan stare. "And you’re just casually throwing that in?"
Argolaith shrugged. "If I mess up, we’ll have the strangest dreams of our lives."
Kaelred muttered, "Fantastic. Can’t wait."
With precision, Argolaith ground the herbs together, letting their natural magic blend.
He then seared the War Beast meat over an enchanted pan, allowing the magic-infused flames to cook the meat evenly while preserving its energy.
The smell was intoxicating, a mix of roasted meat, spice, and deep, rich flavors unlike anything found in normal food.
Kaelred’s stomach growled. "That smells unfairly good."
Argolaith grinned as he plated the meal. "Then let’s eat."
The meal was nothing short of incredible.
The War Beast’s meat was surprisingly tender, its natural magic infusing their bodies with warmth and vitality.
The blend of herbs added layers of depth to the flavor, enhancing their strength with every bite.
Kaelred leaned back against a fallen pillar, exhaling in satisfaction. "That was easily in my top five meals."
Argolaith chuckled. "Top five? What’s number one?"
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
Kaelred smirked. "Whatever I eat after almost dying."
They laughed, the tension of the day fading as the fire flickered low.
The ruins were eerily quiet, and though they felt the weight of unseen eyes, exhaustion finally won over.
"I’ll take first watch," Kaelred murmured, rubbing his eyes.
Argolaith shook his head. "No need. We haven’t seen any movement since we got here. We’ll keep our weapons close and rest while we can."
Kaelred hesitated but eventually nodded. "Fine. But if something even breathes in our direction, I’m stabbing it."
Argolaith smirked, lying back on the cool stone ground. "Deal."
Sleep came quickly, But they were not alone.
Malakar, hidden among the ruins, watched as they drifted into sleep.
Their breathing slowed, their bodies relaxed—but their swords remained close, a testament to their instincts.
The Lich’s violet eyes flickered, his skeletal fingers lightly tracing the hilt of his own sword, though he made no move to draw it.
The night air stirred, and for the briefest moment, something else moved in the distance—a low, guttural growl.
Malakar turned his head slightly.
A pair of golden eyes gleamed from the darkness, watching from the edge of the ruins.
A beast. A strong one.
Malakar tilted his head. "Interesting. You’re drawn to them, aren’t you?"
The creature did not respond, merely watching the sleeping warriors, its hunger evident.
Malakar lifted a single finger, and the shadows twisted around him.
The beast snarled as something unseen took hold of it, binding it in place. The air grew thick with dark energy, and then—
Silence.
The presence was gone.
Malakar exhaled, lowering his hand. "Not tonight."
His gaze shifted back toward Argolaith and Kaelred, who had remained undisturbed, oblivious to the silent battle that had just taken place.
The Lich smirked to himself.
"They’re growing," he murmured. "But they’re still reckless fools."
And yet, as he turned his gaze toward the fire that flickered beside them, a thought crept into his mind—
Why did he intervene? Why did he care if they lived or died? The answer eluded him, for now.
The first hints of dawn painted the sky in hues of deep crimson and gold.
Kaelred stirred first, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stretching with a groan. "That was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks."
Argolaith sat up, rolling his shoulders, feeling the residual energy from the meal still coursing through his body. "Agreed. I feel stronger."
Kaelred reached for his sword and scanned the area. "Nothing attacked us, right?"
Argolaith shook his head. "Nothing I noticed."
Kaelred nodded, but his brow furrowed slightly.
He had the nagging feeling that something had been here.
But if there had been danger, they would’ve woken up. Right?
He shook the thought away and got to his feet. "We should move. The ruins aren’t going to explore themselves."
Argolaith grinned, standing beside him. "Then let’s get to it."
As they packed up their belongings and began walking deeper into the ruins, far behind them, hidden within the shadows, the lich watched them go.
Malakar’s smirk was unreadable, his violet eyes gleaming beneath his hood.
"Let’s see what else you two are capable of."
And just like that—he vanished into the darkness once more.
The morning sun cast eerie golden light over the forgotten ruins, its rays filtering through the cracks of towering stone structures that had long since crumbled under the weight of time.
Argolaith and Kaelred moved carefully, their boots kicking up layers of dust that hadn’t been disturbed in what could have been centuries.
Unlike the ancient cities they had explored before, these ruins were different.
No books, no scrolls, no carved texts or etched tablets.
Only stone and silence.
Kaelred exhaled sharply as he ran his hand along the weathered walls of a broken archway. "This place is… dead."
Argolaith nodded. "Yeah. But it feels wrong, doesn’t it? Like it shouldn’t be this empty."
Kaelred frowned. "No records. No remains. Just ruins." He looked around, his voice growing quieter. "It’s like someone deliberately erased everything."
Argolaith’s gaze swept over the abandoned structures, his fingers tightening slightly on the hilt of his sword.
They had seen many ancient cities before—lost knowledge, forgotten magic, civilizations swallowed by time.
But this?
This place had been stripped of history.
Like something—or someone—had ensured that nothing remained.
And then—
Out of the corner of his eye, Argolaith saw it.
It was small, barely reaching the height of his waist, and covered in tan fur.
Its arms were long, its legs short and wiry, giving it an almost hunched posture.
But what stood out the most were its eyes—large and bulging, yet strangely human, watching them with an unsettling calmness.
And its mouth… filled with human-like teeth.
Argolaith’s breath caught for a moment, his instincts flaring, his hand tightening around his sword.
Kaelred saw his reaction immediately. "What? What do you see?"
Argolaith didn’t answer at first. He turned his head fully, expecting the creature to scurry away—but instead, it simply stared back at him.
Unmoving, Unfazed. Then—without a sound—it turned and walked away.
Not in a rush, not in fear. Just… walked.
As if their presence was completely unimportant, As if they were the ones who did not belong here.
Argolaith exhaled. "Kaelred…"
Kaelred, now seeing the retreating figure, stiffened. "What the hell is that?"
Argolaith shook his head. "I don’t know."
Kaelred took a step forward, as if to follow, but Argolaith put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Wait."
Kaelred frowned. "What? It didn’t look aggressive."
"That’s what’s bothering me," Argolaith murmured. "It wasn’t afraid. It wasn’t curious. It just… left."
Kaelred’s brows furrowed. "Like it expected us to be here?"
Argolaith nodded slowly. "Or like it didn’t care that we were here at all."
They watched the creature disappear into the ruins, its small frame vanishing behind the broken walls and rubble.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Kaelred sighed. "I hate this place."
Argolaith smirked, but his fingers remained close to his sword hilt. "Yeah. Me too."
They continued forward—but now, they weren’t just exploring the ruins.
Now, they were being watched.
Far above, perched on a cracked stone spire, Malakar—the Lich—stood silently, his violet eyes narrowing as he, too, observed the strange creature.
His skeletal fingers tapped against his cloak, his mind calculating. He had seen many things across eons of existence.
But that? That was new.
A smirk played at the edges of his withered lips.
"Well then," Malakar murmured, his voice lost in the wind. "It seems this journey may be more interesting than I thought."
And once again—he vanished into the shadows.
The ruins stretched endlessly before them, a desolate maze of crumbling walls, shattered pillars, and broken archways.
The silence was suffocating, the stillness unnatural, as if the very air had been stilled by an unseen force.
Argolaith and Kaelred continued their search through the ruins, their eyes scanning every surface for something—anything—that might explain the eeriness of this place.
Kaelred sighed heavily, kicking a loose stone. "This is pointless. There’s nothing here. It’s like someone erased this place from existence."
Argolaith exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah… but that’s the part that bothers me the most."
Kaelred raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Argolaith gestured around them. "Think about it. Every ruin we’ve ever come across has left behind something—stories, records, relics. But here? There’s nothing."
Kaelred frowned. "You’re saying it’s intentional?"
Argolaith nodded. "Yeah. Someone wanted this place forgotten."
Kaelred folded his arms. "Then we should probably take the hint and get the hell out of here."
Argolaith smirked. "Getting scared, Kaelred?"
Kaelred shot him a glare. "No. I just don’t like wasting time."
Argolaith chuckled but didn’t argue. "Fine. Let’s check one last area, and if we don’t find anything, we move on."
Kaelred sighed. "Alright. But if we get attacked by something unnatural, I’m blaming you."