The ruins of Arithral stood before them like the skeleton of a forgotten kingdom. Crumbled stone walls reached toward the sky, and broken pillars lined the path as if they once led to a grand entrance.
A thick fog clung to the ground, swirling around their ankles as they descended into the valley.Eiran, still recovering from his earlier magic, leaned on his staff as they reached the foot of the ruins.
His eyes were fixed ahead, but Kael could sense the tension in his posture. Something about this place unnerved him, and that was enough to put Kael on edge.
"We're close," Eiran said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The relic is in there. I can feel its pull."Kael nodded, scanning the ruins with a wary eye. "Do you sense any more traps?"
"Not traps," Eiran replied, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"But there's something… watching us. The magic here is ancient, older than anything we've encountered so far. It's alive, in a way."
Varya, standing at the edge of the group, clicked her tongue in frustration. "Great. So, not only do we have to deal with relics and Shadowborn, now we're facing living magic too?"
"Whatever it is," Kael said, his voice steady, "we handle it. Like we always do."
Eiran gave a small nod and began to move forward, leading them deeper into the ruins.
The air grew colder with each step, and the fog seemed to thicken, twisting into strange shapes that danced just beyond their vision.
The ruins themselves were a labyrinth of fallen stone and shattered statues, their once-proud forms now worn down by centuries of neglect. The silence was almost suffocating, broken only by the soft sound of their footsteps on the cobblestones.
As they ventured further, the faint glow of runes carved into the stones began to catch Kael's eye. The runes pulsed with a dim, eerie light, as if reacting to their presence. Eiran paused in front of one of the larger pillars, his hand tracing the glowing symbols.
"These runes… they're a warning," Eiran said quietly. "The people who built this place were protecting something. Or… keeping something locked away."
"Which one do you think it is?" Kael asked, his hand instinctively tightening on his sword hilt.Eiran didn't answer immediately, his eyes scanning the runes with growing concern.
"Both."Varya stepped forward, her sharp gaze sweeping the area.
"What exactly are we dealing with here?"Before Eiran could respond, a low rumble echoed through the ruins, and the ground beneath them began to tremble.
Kael immediately moved closer to Eiran, drawing his sword as cracks formed in the stones at their feet.The fog shifted, parting as something large began to rise from the ground ahead of them.
Slowly, a towering stone figure emerged, its form covered in the same glowing runes that adorned the ruins. Its eyes flickered to life, glowing with an intense, fiery light.
"A guardian," Eiran whispered, stepping back.
"The ancient magic is awakening it."The stone guardian took a step forward, the ground shaking with the weight of its massive body. Kael raised his sword, readying himself for a fight, but Eiran held up a hand.
"Wait!" Eiran's voice was urgent.
"We can't just fight it. These guardians are bound to the relic's magic. If we destroy it, we risk setting off whatever protections the relic has in place."
Kael frowned, his gaze fixed on the approaching figure. "So what do we do?"
"I can disrupt the magic controlling it," Eiran said, already moving his staff to channel his power.
"But I'll need time."Varya's eyes narrowed as she positioned herself beside Kael. "We can hold it off. You do your thing, Eiran.
"The guardian's heavy steps brought it closer, each movement slow but deliberate. Its glowing eyes locked onto them, as if assessing their threat.
Kael braced himself as the guardian raised one massive arm, preparing to strike.With a deafening roar, the guardian brought its arm down, and Kael barely managed to deflect the blow with his sword.
The force of the strike sent him stumbling back, but he quickly regained his footing, positioning himself between the guardian and Eiran.
"Whatever you're doing, Eiran, do it fast!" Kael shouted as the guardian prepared to strike again.
Eiran's magic flared, his staff glowing brightly as he chanted the ancient words needed to break the guardian's connection to the relic. The air around them crackled with energy, and the ground pulsed with the force of Eiran's magic.
Varya moved like a shadow, darting in and out of the guardian's reach as she tried to distract it. Her daggers flashed as she struck at its legs, chipping away at the stone, but the guardian didn't falter.
It swung its arm toward her, but she rolled out of the way just in time.Kael lunged forward, slashing at the guardian's arm with all his strength.
The blade bit into the stone, sending sparks flying, but it wasn't enough to stop the creature. It roared again, its glowing eyes flashing dangerously.
"Eiran!" Kael called out, his voice tight with the strain of holding off the giant.
"I'm almost there!" Eiran shouted, his voice strained as the magic around him intensified.
The guardian raised both arms this time, preparing to bring them down in a crushing blow.
Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he realized there was no way he could block both strikes.But before the guardian could attack, a brilliant light exploded from Eiran's staff, enveloping the entire area in a blinding glow.
The runes on the guardian's body flickered and dimmed, and with a final, rumbling groan, the massive stone figure crumbled into dust.Kael stood frozen for a moment, his sword still raised as the dust settled around them.
The silence that followed was almost as deafening as the guardian's roar had been.Eiran staggered, his staff clattering to the ground as he nearly collapsed from the exertion. Kael rushed to his side, catching him before he could fall.
"You did it," Kael said softly, his voice filled with relief.Eiran gave a weak nod, his breathing heavy.
"That was… too close."
Varya sheathed her daggers, her expression calm but her eyes betraying a hint of relief. "We need to keep moving. If the guardian was protecting something, it means we're almost there."
Kael helped Eiran to his feet, keeping a protective arm around him.
"Can you walk?"
"I'll be fine," Eiran replied, though he leaned heavily on Kael for support.
"The relic is just ahead. I can feel it."With the guardian defeated, the ruins seemed even more foreboding.
The air was thick with the promise of danger, and the pulsing energy of the relic grew stronger with each step they took.
They pressed forward, knowing that the true challenge still lay ahead.