Iris looked around the darkness surrounding her. She could bearly see anything. She turned around again and looked up at the familiar rocks before her.
Shaddow Valley! So, the rumours were true! Shaddow Valley was a gate to the Seven Seas. Iris puffed her cheeks; she couldn't stay out in the open; she was wearing a flimsy dress and had no weapons to defend herself. The hoards of shikari! Whatever happened to those? The journey to the North on foot would take too long, and she was nowhere near a village or any human settlements.
" Shit!" she cursed and kicked a small stone.
She had to find a way back. Bargaining with the Shaddow Lords was always an option. Amwell had warned her never to return. Now here she was, staring at the obsidian rocks marking the entrance into the Valley.
Iris puffed her cheeks and made her way towards the entrance. She vaguely remembered where she and Ian had stepped out of the ridge around the valley.
As she ran her hands over the smooth rocks, she felt a prick on her finger, and the sound of a door sliding open was a sign that she had found what she was looking for.
" Of course, it's blood!" Iris scoffed and stepped into the dimly lit, scanty corridor. She expected the Lords to come, stop her or tell her to go away. She halted her steps and looked at the spot where Ian had taken her; she felt her eyes sting and her heart squeeze at the memory of her and Ian. She sniffled and took a deep breath, trying to chase away that heavy feeling in her heart, but she already knew it would be impossible. Iris reprised her steps with a heavy heart.
When she stepped into the same chamber where she and Saho discussed, she realised that none of that would happen.
She followed the same path that she and Ian had taken, slipping from one chamber into another until she had reached where they all gathered up last she was there. The silence was suffocating, and she grew worried. What had happened to the Shaddow Lords? There were quite a few of them, and they were immortals bound to the Valley. Surely they should be inside the ridges of the Valley.
" Amwell!" Iris whispered, but the only answer she got was from her echo.
" Crap! Now what?' She said to no one in particular and continued walking.
She caught a shadow moving behind, but it was so fast that it was a blur. Were they hiding from her? Maybe! She shrugged at her thoughts and continued walking.
" He could've at least opened the portal on the other side of the valley!" Iris grumbled to herself.
Iris opened her fist and looked at the stone in her hand. Hold on, Edýia! I'm coming! She fisted the rock and kept walking from one chamber to another. She would've stopped, but she couldn't. There was not enough time to poke around Shaddow Valley, even though she wanted to. It looked like a piece of Hollow had been dragged into this realm. How was that even possible? Iris sighed and pushed another door open, and stepped through it, looking left and right to see if she could catch another glimpse of the shadow she had seen earlier.
" I mean no harm!" Iria said she could feel that someone was watching her.
" I need help!" she added, halting her steps and doing a complete turn on herself.
" It's just me!" she tried to reassure whoever was watching her.
" Amwell, is that you?" she kept speaking, hoping that they would finally reveal himself.
" How did you know it was me?" Amwell finally appeared behind her out of nowhere.
" You were the only one that tried to help last I was here!' Iris replied, turning to look at the woman.
" Why are you hiding?" Iris asked and stepped closer to Amwell.
" We want no trouble, and last you were here, you brought trouble with you!" Amwell shrugged and looked around the room.
" I warned Saho!" Iris retorted and followed Amwells line of sight.
" But it's just me this time, and I need help to cross the Valley!" Iris said and looked at the stone in her hand.
" Someone needs this!" Iris mumbled and fisted the stone.
" Where did you get that?" Amwell pointed at her hand and reached for the stone.
" Zandar!" Iris replied and opened the palm of her hand.
Amwell took the stone out of her hand and looked at it briefly. The stone changed colour and turned clear in Amwell hand.
" What did you do?' Iris panicked and snatched the stone back from Amwell's hand.
" It's a false liantur stone but not even a good one." Amwell sighed and gave her a pitying look.
"Oh!" Iris grew woeful, looking at the stone in her hand.
" Where can I get the real one, then?" Iris pensively asked, turning the stone to all sides.
" Liantur stone has the power to restore body and soul! They are very precious, and the Valley is the only place where they can be found. You'll have to dig through dirt in the Valley and find a way to hide from the wêtā while you do it. It's not easy. Breeding season is over. They will hibernate for a fortnight after. You have one day to find the stone." Amwell informed, waved her hand, and the other Lords appeared around her.
Iris looked around her at the Lords. She wanted to ask for help, but she wasn't sure whether they would agree. Saho said that there is a price and cost for their aide. What will they ask?
" Will you help?" Iris asked, looking at Amwell with pleading eyes.
" You have an awfully lot of demands!" One of the Lords spoke and stepped forward.
" You will have to forgive me! I find myself in a bind, and I am trying to save a girl's life here." Iris humbled in front of the Lords.
Silence settled in the great chamber while the Lords stared at her with unwavering gazes, and she felt cold sweat trickle down her temple. Their decision would make or break her plans.
" We will provide you safe passage to the other side of the Valley but the stone you seek." the same Lord that spoke before broke the silence.
" You will have to retrieve it yourself." he finished after a short pause, resolute in his decision.
" I'm grateful for your assistance Lord...." Iris drawled; she had no idea what his name was. Without Saho, they seemed more docile and willing to give her a helping hand.
" Lord Owston!" he curtly replied and turned around.
" Thank you for your help!" Iris bowed to the Lords, and they nodded at her.
" Something changed since you were last here!" Amwell narrowed her eyes at her.
Iris gave her a questioning look. She wasn't sure how to answer that.
" What changed?" Iris curiously asked and looked at the Lords.
" Something is happening with the valley and the Hollow!" Amwell vaguely explained.
"Its powers are dwindling!" Amwell continued after a few moments.
" There is a new Guardian!" Iris looked at the Lords, who frowned but remained silent at her words. It was hard to believe they weren't already aware that Ettrick had been replaced by none other than Ian.