The battle for Skyhold raged throughout the night, and though the city's defenders fought valiantly, Kaelen knew that their victory had come at a steep cost. The sky had finally cleared, revealing the bodies of wyverns and men alike scattered across the snow-covered streets. The fires that had been started by the Dark One's creatures still smoldered, their embers flickering in the early morning light.
Kaelen stood at the edge of the city walls, staring out over the eastern horizon where the Dark Woods lay in the distance. Somewhere beyond those cursed trees, the sorceress of the Dark Woods awaited. He had survived the battle, but the real challenge lay ahead.
The captain of the guard, bloodied but unbowed, approached Kaelen. "We've driven them off for now," he said, his voice rough with exhaustion. "But it won't be long before they strike again. Skyhold won't withstand another attack like that."
Kaelen nodded, his gaze still fixed on the distant Dark Woods. "We need to stop the sorceress before she sends more of her creatures. If we don't, she'll weaken Skyhold from the shadows until there's nothing left to defend."
The captain grunted in agreement. "I don't envy you, lad. She's not a foe I'd want to face, but if anyone can stand against her, it's you." He clapped Kaelen on the shoulder and walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Aeliana approached from behind, her expression troubled. "We barely survived the wyverns. The sorceress is going to be even worse. You know that, right?"
Kaelen turned to face her, his jaw set. "I know. But we don't have a choice. The dragon of ice sent us here for a reason. If the sorceress is part of the trial, then I have to face her."
Aeliana looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of doubt. "You're certain about this?"
Kaelen hesitated, but then nodded. "I am."
She sighed, then glanced toward Sir Eamon, who was speaking with the remaining knights. "We'll be with you, whatever happens. But there's something I need to tell you before we go."
Kaelen frowned. "What is it?"
Aeliana glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "The sorceress of the Dark Woods isn't just some old woman who's mastered dark magic. She's bound to the same elemental forces that govern the dragons. Her magic is ancient, as old as the dragons themselves. I can feel her power growing stronger with every passing moment."
Kaelen's eyes widened. "You mean she's connected to the dragons somehow?"
Aeliana nodded. "She was once a guardian of the elements, like Ylara. But something twisted her, turned her against the balance. Now, she serves the Dark One, using her power to corrupt and control."
Kaelen's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. "If she's connected to the elements, then the dragons must know how to defeat her."
Aeliana nodded. "That's why the dragon of ice sent you here. The bond you have with the dragon of fire and the trial you've begun with the dragon of ice—they're part of what will give you the strength to face her. But it won't be enough. You'll need more than just strength and courage. You'll need to understand the magic she wields and how to counter it."
Kaelen's mind raced. "How do I do that?"
Aeliana hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I think I can help. I've studied elemental magic for years, and though I've never faced anything like the sorceress before, I know enough to guide you through the Dark Woods. But once we reach her, you'll have to face her alone. The bond between you and the dragons is the only thing that can stop her. If you fail..."
Her voice trailed off, but the implication was clear. If he failed, the sorceress would destroy him, and with him, any hope of stopping the Dark One.
Kaelen nodded, determination hardening in his chest. "Then we don't have time to waste."
By midday, the group was prepared to leave Skyhold. Sir Eamon had gathered the remaining knights and secured a temporary truce with the wyvern riders of the city. Ylara, silent as ever, stood ready at the edge of the group, her cold gaze fixed on the horizon.
The journey ahead would take them deep into the Dark Woods, a place of twisted trees, shadowed paths, and dark magic. the Dark Woods ever returned. Legends spoke of a place where time itself was twisted, where the trees whispered dark secrets, and where the very air was poisoned by ancient, forbidden magic. But Kaelen knew they had no choice. The sorceress was growing stronger with every passing moment, and if they didn't stop her soon, Skyhold would be the first of many cities to fall.
The group rode in silence as they left Skyhold behind, the distant mountains of the Elemental Peaks disappearing into the mist. The cold bite of winter had lessened, but a strange heaviness seemed to hang in the air as they approached the Dark Woods. The further they traveled, the more the landscape around them changed. The trees became twisted, their branches clawing at the sky like the gnarled hands of some ancient beast. Shadows moved where they shouldn't, and the light of day seemed to dim, even though the sun still hung high above.
Kaelen felt the change almost immediately. There was a palpable weight in the air, as if something dark and powerful was watching them from just beyond the edges of their vision. His hand drifted instinctively to the hilt of his sword, and he could feel the warmth of the bond with the dragon of fire pulsing faintly, a comforting presence in the growing darkness.
Ylara spoke for the first time since they left the city. "We are entering the sorceress's domain. Her magic fills these woods, and it will try to twist your thoughts. Stay close, and do not stray from the path. The Dark Woods are not a place for the unprepared."
Kaelen exchanged a glance with Aeliana, who was riding beside him. The sorceress's warnings echoed in his mind, but he couldn't help but feel a pull toward the heart of the forest, as if something deeper was calling to him.
They rode for hours, the dense canopy above them blocking out the light, plunging the forest into a twilight gloom. The air grew thick with mist, and the trees pressed in around them, their branches heavy with moss and creeping vines. The further they traveled, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The silence of the forest was unnatural—there were no birds, no insects, only the soft crunch of their horses' hooves on the forest floor.
As they ventured deeper, Aeliana rode closer to Kaelen, her voice low and tense. "The magic here is strong, Kaelen. I can feel it pressing against my mind. The sorceress knows we're coming."
Kaelen nodded, his eyes scanning the twisted forest around them. "Then we need to be ready. She won't let us reach her without a fight."
Suddenly, Ylara halted her horse, raising her hand in a signal for the others to stop. Her eyes narrowed as she stared into the distance, her senses keenly attuned to the magical currents flowing through the forest. "She's close," Ylara said, her voice as cold and sharp as ice. "The sorceress has set a trap for us."
Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them shifted. The trees around them seemed to twist and contort, their branches elongating and stretching toward the group like reaching arms. The air grew thick with the scent of decay, and the shadows began to move, swirling around them like living creatures. The horses neighed in panic, their eyes wide with fear, as dark tendrils of magic crept along the ground, curling around their legs.
Kaelen's heart raced as he drew his sword, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim light. "Get ready!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the oppressive silence.
Dark figures emerged from the shadows—twisted, humanoid shapes with hollow faces and eyes that gleamed with malevolent light. These were no ordinary creatures; they were the sorceress's minions, manifestations of her dark power, bound to the forest and twisted by her magic. Their limbs were long and spindly, their movements unnatural and jerky as they advanced toward the group.
Ylara's voice was firm as she raised her hands, her fingers glowing with a pale, icy light. "Do not let them touch you. These creatures are born of shadow and corruption. They are illusions made real, but dangerous all the same."
Aeliana quickly dismounted, her own hands crackling with arcane energy. She positioned herself beside Kaelen, her eyes focused as she prepared to counter whatever dark magic the sorceress had sent their way. "We have to push through!" she called out, her voice strained with the effort of holding back the encroaching shadows.
Sir Eamon, his sword already drawn, stood at the ready, shielding the knights who had accompanied them. "Keep the formation tight!" he barked, his voice cutting through the growing chaos. "Don't let them surround us!"
Kaelen's pulse pounded in his ears as the shadowy figures lunged forward. He swung his sword in a wide arc, cutting through the nearest creature. The blade passed through the figure like it was cutting through smoke, but the creature let out a twisted, hissing scream as it dissolved into black mist. Yet, for every one he struck down, another seemed to rise from the darkness, and soon, they were surrounded.
Aeliana unleashed a burst of flame, her magic lighting up the dark forest and burning away several of the shadow-creatures. The heat from her spell washed over Kaelen, momentarily driving back the oppressive cold of the sorceress's magic. But even as the fire flickered, the shadows reformed, the creatures' broken bodies reassembling from the mist.
"They're endless!" Aeliana shouted, her voice filled with frustration as she blasted another wave of fire at the creatures.
Kaelen swung his sword again, his muscles burning with the effort, but it was clear that they couldn't keep this up forever. The shadow-creatures kept coming, their numbers unceasing, and the air grew thick with the stench of rot and decay. The forest itself seemed to shift and twist around them, the trees leaning closer, their gnarled branches reaching out like claws.
Ylara's eyes glowed with a cold, icy blue as she stepped forward, raising both hands toward the sky. "Enough," she said, her voice cutting through the cacophony of battle. "You will not take us this way."
She slammed her hands down, and a wave of freezing energy exploded outward from her. The ground beneath their feet froze solid, ice creeping up the trunks of the trees and spreading across the forest floor. The shadow-creatures shrieked and writhed as the ice engulfed them, freezing their twisted forms in place. Within moments, the dark figures were encased in solid ice, their movements stilled.
The forest fell silent once more, the oppressive darkness lifting slightly as the shadows retreated.
Ylara lowered her hands, her face pale and drawn from the effort of the spell. "We don't have much time. The sorceress knows we're coming, and she's trying to delay us. We need to move quickly, before she can regroup."
Kaelen glanced at the frozen creatures, then back to Ylara. "That won't hold them for long, will it?"
Ylara shook her head. "No. Her power is tied to this forest. She'll use it to slow us down at every turn. But I know a path that can take us to her lair. It's dangerous, but it's the only way to reach her before she sends more of her magic against us."
Aeliana wiped sweat from her brow, her magic flickering at her fingertips. "If we don't stop her soon, we'll be overwhelmed. Skyhold won't be able to hold out against another wave of her creatures."
Sir Eamon, his face set in grim determination, nodded. "Lead the way, Ylara. We'll follow."
Ylara turned and led them deeper into the Dark Woods, her movements quick and precise. The path she took was narrow and overgrown, twisting through the dense, ancient trees. The air grew heavier as they moved, and Kaelen could feel the sorceress's magic pressing down on him, like a weight around his neck. It was suffocating, and with each step, the oppressive darkness seemed to grow stronger.
As they ventured deeper, the trees became more twisted, their bark blackened and gnarled. The ground beneath them was soft and spongy, the earth stained dark with rot. Strange, whispered voices echoed through the air, though Kaelen couldn't make out any words. The forest itself seemed alive, watching their every move, waiting for them to falter.
Ylara suddenly stopped in front of a massive tree, its trunk split down the middle, forming a dark, cavernous opening. "This is it," she said quietly. "The sorceress's lair lies within."
Kaelen stared at the tree, his heart racing. The opening was like a gaping maw, black and foreboding, and a deep sense of dread washed over him as he looked into it. "She's in there?"
Ylara nodded. "Her magic is strongest here. Be on guard. Once we enter, there's no turning back."
Aeliana placed a hand on Kaelen's arm, her voice low. "This is it, Kaelen. The final trial. If we defeat her, we can stop her influence over the forest and protect Skyhold. But if we fail…"
"We won't fail," Kaelen said, his voice filled with a quiet determination. "We've come too far to turn back now."
Sir Eamon drew his sword, his eyes filled with steely resolve. "Let's finish this."
Without another word, the group entered the dark opening, stepping into the heart of the sorceress's domain. Inside, the air was thick with magic, the walls of the cavern pulsing with dark energy. The ground beneath their feet felt soft, as though they were walking on shadows rather than solid earth. The further they went, the more the oppressive weight of the sorceress's presence pressed down on them, like a storm waiting to break.
At the center of the cavern, surrounded by twisted roots and gnarled trees, stood the sorceress herself.
She was tall, her figure cloaked in dark, flowing robes that seemed to shimmer with the darkness itself. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her eyes glowed with a cold, malevolent light. Around her, the air crackled with raw power, and her presence filled the cavern with an overwhelming sense of dread.
"So," she said, her voice low and smooth, echoing through the cavern like the hiss of a snake. "You've come at last."
Kaelen stepped forward, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. "We're here to stop you."
The sorceress smiled, a cold, cruel smile. "Foolish boy. Do you really think you can stop me? I am the heart of these woods, the very essence of the darkness you fear. You've walked right into my trap."
With a flick of her wrist, the shadows around them came alive, twisting and writhing as they surged forward, ready to consume them.
But Kaelen stood firm, his eyes locked on the sorceress. This was the final trial. He had faced the dragon of fire, begun the bond with the dragon of ice, and now he stood against one of the greatest forces of darkness the realms had ever known.
And he would not fail.