Blinking your eyes, you gaze around yourself. There's no sign of the nothingness that you just passed through or the being that had guarded it, but that's nothing in comparison to where you are standing.
A bloodred sky looms above, gazing balefully down at you. Below it, surrounding you, cliffs rise into sheer mountain peaks, creating a ring of enormous jagged spikes. You are standing on what seems to be a form of rock basin, with no visible way in or out of the circle of mountains.
And ahead of you, some distance away, you see two figures.
The first is tall, slim, and standing proudly with her back to you: unmistakably Lady Rastan. The second, shorter, figure is lying sprawled on the ground beside her, but you're just able to make out her facial features.
"Aunt Cavalcade," you whisper before you can stop yourself.
You turn your attention back to Lady Rastan. She seems to be standing upon the edge of this flat slab of rock, staring down into something below. Whatever's down there, it has her framed in violent red light. It's difficult to tell from behind, but you're almost certain that she's speaking: perhaps an incantation. Whatever it is, it has her full attention.
This could be your chance.