The sulfuric scent grew stronger as they approached the base of the mountain range, mixing with the staleness of the wind. Aria pulled her scarf higher over her nose, glancing warily at the jagged cliffs towering above them. The peaks seemed to claw at the gray sky, shrouded in a faint haze that prickled her nerves.
"This place gives me the creeps," Simon muttered, adjusting the shield strapped to his arm. He scanned the area with sharp eyes, his hand never far from the hilt of his sword. "Feels like we're walking into a trap."
Arman Spyro, now in his human form, crouched near a cluster of blackened rocks. He rubbed his fingers against the ashy residue, his golden eyes narrowing. "Dragon fire," he said simply.
Aria's stomach twisted. "Do you think Amelia…?" She didn't finish the question.
Arman shook his head, standing. "Hard to say. But whatever happened here, it wasn't natural."
Aria tightened her grip on her bow, the fire-protection band on her wrist faintly warm against her skin. The thought of Amelia Aleazea out there, alone, filled her with a gnawing dread. They had to keep moving.
"I'll scout ahead," Arman said, his voice low. Without waiting for a response, he shifted into his dragon form. His body elongated, scales rippling into place as wings unfurled with a low, resonant sound.
Simon watched him take off, shading his eyes. "Still not used to that," he muttered.
Aria gave a half-hearted chuckle, her gaze lingering on the darkening sky. "Let's just hope he finds something useful."
They continued on foot, navigating a treacherous path littered with scorched rocks and strange, claw-like marks etched into the dirt. Simon paused often to examine the tracks, his expression grim.
"These are goblin tracks," he said after a while, crouching near a deep imprint. "But they're… wrong. Bigger. Clumsier." He glanced at Aria. "Have you seen anything like this before?"
She shook her head. "No. But if goblins are involved, we're probably on the right trail, Right?" She slung her bow over her shoulder "My father said something about them around impure magic."
A chill ran down her spine as she spoke. Her instincts whispered that they weren't alone, but every time she looked, there was nothing but empty terrain.
It wasn't long before they stumbled upon the remains of a campsite. The sight stopped Aria in her tracks.
"Amelia's?" she whispered, rushing forward.
Simon grabbed her arm. "Careful."
She shook him off and crouched beside the wreckage. Torn pages from journals fluttered weakly in the breeze, scattered among broken equipment. A dark stain—blood—marred the dirt. Aria swallowed hard, her heart pounding.
"This was a fight," Simon said, scanning the area. "She didn't go quietly."
Aria's hands trembled as she picked up a half-burned map from the ground. It was marked with strange symbols, some of which matched the ones on their fire-protection bands.
Simon leaned over her shoulder. "Those look like…"
"Runes," Aria finished. "For fire protection, I think. Just like the bands Spyro gave us." She folded the map carefully and tucked it into her bag. "We need to keep moving."
Simon frowned. "We should regroup, plan—"
"We don't have time!" she snapped, rising to her feet. "Amelia could still be alive. Every second we waste could mean—"
"Aria," Simon interrupted, his tone firm but calm. "Rushing in without a plan won't help her—or us."
She glared at him, her emotions warring inside her. Memories of her brother's death flashed through her mind, sharpening her resolve.
"Fine," she said tightly. "But I'm not stopping until we find her."
The canyon narrowed as they pressed on, its high walls looming ominously. Aria's bow was in her hand, an arrow nocked, as her eyes darted from shadow to shadow.
Then it happened.
A guttural hiss echoed through the canyon, followed by a rush of movement. Goblins poured from the shadows, their forms grotesque and flickering, as if struggling to hold their shape.
"Mutants!" Simon yelled, drawing his sword.
Aria loosed an arrow, the shot finding its mark in a goblin's throat. But more kept coming. They were faster than normal goblins, stronger, and horribly distorted.
One lunged at Simon, its claws raking across his armor. He slashed it down, but another took its place.
"Spyro!" Aria shouted, her voice strained.
A deafening roar answered her. Arman swept in from above, his dragon fire scorching the canyon floor. The goblins screamed, scattering under the fiery onslaught.
But it wasn't over. One goblin broke through the chaos, darting toward Simon. Its dagger, glinting with a sickly green hue, found a weak point in his armor.
"Simon!" Aria cried.
He staggered, clutching his side as the goblin cackled. Without thinking, Aria raised her hand, a strange energy surging through her. A shimmering barrier of Veil energy erupted between Simon and the goblins, sending them stumbling back.
Aria froze, staring at her hand. "What… what was that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Aria, behind you!" Simon's shout jolted her back into the fight.
When the last goblin fell, Arman landed beside them, shifting back into his human form. His gaze flicked to Simon, who was pale and sweating.
"Poison," Arman said grimly, examining the wound. "He won't last long without help."
Aria's heart clenched. "We'll find something in the ruins. Amelia's notes—her research—there has to be something."
Arman nodded, his expression grave. "Then we'd better move quickly."
As they helped Simon to his feet, Aria noticed a faint glow emanating from a rocky outcrop nearby. She approached cautiously, finding an entrance carved into the mountainside, its edges etched with glowing runes.
"This is it," she murmured, her fear mixing with determination.
Arman examined the runes. "It's ancient. Likely tied to the Veil."
Simon leaned heavily on Aria, his voice weak but steady. "Then let's go. We didn't come this far to turn back now."
With a deep breath, Aria stepped into the ruin, the fire-protection band on her wrist flaring brightly. Whatever lay ahead, she was ready to face it.
For Amelia. For her brother. For herself. Got it! Let me revise the chapter slightly to reflect Aria's lack of understanding about magic. Here's the updated version:
Chapter 13: Into the Heart of Fire
The sulfuric scent grew stronger as they approached the base of the mountain range, mixing with the staleness of the wind. Aria pulled her scarf higher over her nose, glancing warily at the jagged cliffs towering above them. The peaks seemed to claw at the gray sky, shrouded in a faint haze that prickled her nerves.
"This place gives me the creeps," Simon muttered, adjusting the shield strapped to his arm. He scanned the area with sharp eyes, his hand never far from the hilt of his sword. "Feels like we're walking into a trap."
Arman Spyro, now in his human form, crouched near a cluster of blackened rocks. He rubbed his fingers against the ashy residue, his golden eyes narrowing. "Dragon fire," he said simply.
Aria's stomach twisted. "Do you think Amelia…?" She didn't finish the question.
Arman shook his head, standing. "Hard to say. But whatever happened here, it wasn't natural."
Aria tightened her grip on her bow, the fire-protection band on her wrist faintly warm against her skin. The thought of Amelia Aleazea out there, alone, filled her with a gnawing dread. They had to keep moving.
"I'll scout ahead," Arman said, his voice low. Without waiting for a response, he shifted into his dragon form. His body elongated, scales rippling into place as wings unfurled with a low, resonant sound.
Simon watched him take off, shading his eyes. "Still not used to that," he muttered.
Aria gave a half-hearted chuckle, her gaze lingering on the darkening sky. "Let's just hope he finds something useful."
They continued on foot, navigating a treacherous path littered with scorched rocks and strange, claw-like marks etched into the dirt. Simon paused often to examine the tracks, his expression grim.
"These are goblin tracks," he said after a while, crouching near a deep imprint. "But they're… wrong. Bigger. Clumsier." He glanced at Aria. "Have you seen anything like this before?"
She shook her head. "No. But if goblins are involved, we're probably on the right trail."
A chill ran down her spine as she spoke. Her instincts whispered that they weren't alone, but every time she looked, there was nothing but empty terrain.
It wasn't long before they stumbled upon the remains of a campsite. The sight stopped Aria in her tracks.
"Amelia's?" she whispered, rushing forward.
Simon grabbed her arm. "Careful."
She shook him off and crouched beside the wreckage. Torn pages from journals fluttered weakly in the breeze, scattered among broken equipment. A dark stain—blood—marred the dirt. Aria swallowed hard, her heart pounding.
"This was a fight," Simon said, scanning the area. "She didn't go quietly."
Aria's hands trembled as she picked up a half-burned map from the ground. It was marked with strange symbols, some of which matched the ones on their fire-protection bands.
Simon leaned over her shoulder. "Those look like…"
"Runes," Aria finished. "For fire protection, I think. Just like the bands Spyro gave us." She folded the map carefully and tucked it into her bag. "We need to keep moving."
Simon frowned. "We should regroup, plan—"
"We don't have time!" she snapped, rising to her feet. "Amelia could still be alive. Every second we waste could mean—"
"Aria," Simon interrupted, his tone firm but calm. "Rushing in without a plan won't help her—or us."
She glared at him, her emotions warring inside her. Memories of her brother's death flashed through her mind, sharpening her resolve.
"Fine," she said tightly. "But I'm not stopping until we find her."
The canyon narrowed as they pressed on, its high walls looming ominously. Aria's bow was in her hand, an arrow nocked, as her eyes darted from shadow to shadow.
Then it happened.
A guttural hiss echoed through the canyon, followed by a rush of movement. Goblins poured from the shadows, their forms grotesque and flickering, as if struggling to hold their shape.
"Mutants!" Simon yelled, drawing his sword.
Aria loosed an arrow, the shot finding its mark in a goblin's throat. But more kept coming. They were faster than normal goblins, stronger, and horribly distorted.
One lunged at Simon, its claws raking across his armor. He slashed it down, but another took its place.
"Spyro!" Aria shouted, her voice strained.
A deafening roar answered her. Arman swept in from above, his dragon fire scorching the canyon floor. The goblins screamed, scattering under the fiery onslaught.
But it wasn't over. One goblin broke through the chaos, darting toward Simon. Its dagger, glinting with a sickly green hue, found a weak point in his armor.
"Simon!" Aria cried.
He staggered, clutching his side as the goblin cackled. Without thinking, Aria raised her hand, a strange energy surging through her. A shimmering barrier of energy erupted between Simon and the goblins, sending them stumbling back.
Aria froze, staring at her hand. "What… what was that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Aria, behind you!" Simon's shout jolted her back into the fight.
When the last goblin fell, Arman landed beside them, shifting back into his human form. His gaze flicked to Simon, who was pale and sweating.
"Poison," Arman said grimly, examining the wound. "He won't last long without help."
Aria's heart clenched. "We'll find something in the ruins. Amelia's notes—her research—there has to be something."
Arman nodded, his expression grave. "Then we'd better move quickly."
As they helped Simon to his feet, Aria noticed a faint glow emanating from a rocky outcrop nearby. She approached cautiously, finding an entrance carved into the mountainside, its edges etched with glowing runes.
"This is it," she murmured, her fear mixing with determination.
Arman examined the runes. "It's ancient. Likely tied to the Veilwalkers."
Simon leaned heavily on Aria, his voice weak but steady. "Then let's go. We didn't come this far to turn back now."
With a deep breath, Aria stepped into the ruin, the fire-protection band on her wrist flaring brightly. Whatever lay ahead, she was ready to face it.
For Amelia. For her brother. For herself.