Chapter 3: The Ember Highlands
The air shifted as Alexa stepped out of the ruins and into the open expanse of the Ember Highlands. The oppressive heat hit her like a wave, dry and searing, carrying the faint scent of sulfur. She squinted against the dim light that filtered through the ashen clouds above, her gaze sweeping the barren landscape. Jagged cliffs and volcanic craters stretched as far as the eye could see, glowing rivers of emberstone snaking through the ground like veins of molten fire.
Behind her, Riven emerged, his movements deliberate and calm despite the chaos they had just escaped. He adjusted his cloak, which now bore a fresh tear along its edge, and glanced at her with an unreadable expression.
"Well," he said, his voice tinged with dry amusement, "if I had to pick a place to hide from Dominion enforcers, this hellscape wouldn't be my first choice."
Alexa ignored him, her focus on the faint pulse of the pendant against her chest. Its warmth had steadied, but its pull was weaker here, as though unsure of the path forward. She tightened her grip on the dagger at her side and scanned the horizon again. The jagged cliffs offered some cover, but the glowing rivers and shifting terrain left her uneasy.
"We need to keep moving," she said, her voice low but firm. "They'll track us."
"They always do," Riven replied, his tone light but his eyes sharp as they roamed the horizon. "Luckily for you, I'm not entirely useless."
Alexa shot him a glance. "Prove it."
Riven smirked and reached into one of the pouches on his belt, pulling out a small, rune-etched orb. "Dominion tracking relies on energy signatures, right? They're sniffing out your pendant like bloodhounds. This little beauty," he said, holding up the orb, "creates a false trail. Toss it one direction, run the other, and voilà—instant confusion."
Alexa raised an eyebrow. "And why didn't you use that before?"
"Because it's single-use," he replied, his smirk fading slightly. "I was saving it for when we really needed it."
She didn't like the idea of relying on him, but they didn't have a choice. "Fine. Do it."
Riven gave her a mock bow, then lobbed the orb toward a cluster of boulders. The runes on its surface flared briefly before fading, and a faint hum filled the air as it activated. Without another word, Riven turned and motioned for Alexa to follow him toward the cliffs.
The ground beneath their feet shifted as they moved, the loose rock and ash making every step precarious. Alexa kept her dagger drawn, her eyes darting to the shadows that flickered near the glowing rivers. The Highlands felt alive, as though the land itself was watching them.
"Ever been here before?" Alexa asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Once," Riven replied, his tone unusually quiet. "Didn't leave with fond memories."
Before she could press him further, a distant rumble echoed through the air. Alexa froze, her heart racing as she glanced back the way they had come. The faint hum of the tracking orb had ceased, and the oppressive silence of the Highlands settled over them once more.
"They're getting closer," Riven said, his voice low but steady. "We've got maybe ten minutes before they figure out the trick."
Alexa cursed under her breath and quickened her pace. The pendant's pull was faint but still present, guiding her toward a narrow pass between two jagged cliffs. The air here was thicker, heavy with heat and the faint tang of emberstone, and every breath felt like swallowing smoke.
As they entered the pass, Alexa's steps faltered. The ground was littered with bones—animal, human, and something else entirely. The jagged remains glowed faintly, as though tainted by the emberstone rivers that cut through the Highlands. A chill ran down her spine despite the heat.
"Lovely," Riven muttered, nudging a skull with the tip of his boot. "I'm sure this is perfectly safe."
Alexa shot him a glare but said nothing. The pendant's warmth grew stronger now, its pulse quickening as they approached the end of the pass. The cliffs on either side loomed higher, their jagged edges casting long shadows that seemed to move of their own accord.
The air shifted again, and this time, Alexa felt it—a presence, faint but undeniable. She gripped her dagger tighter, her muscles tensing as her instincts screamed a warning.
"Something's here," she whispered.
Riven's hand moved to the hilt of one of his blades, his amber eyes scanning the shadows. "You're not wrong," he said, his voice low. "Question is, is it friend or—"
A guttural growl cut him off, low and resonant, vibrating through the ground beneath their feet. Alexa's heart leapt into her throat as a shadow detached itself from the cliffside ahead. It moved with an unnatural fluidity, its massive form shimmering faintly with emberstone veins. The creature's eyes glowed a deep, molten red, and its jagged maw opened to reveal rows of glistening, serrated teeth.
"—foe," Riven finished, drawing his blades.
The creature let out a deafening roar, and the air seemed to ripple with its rage. Alexa took a step back, the pendant flaring to life against her chest, its golden light casting long, flickering shadows across the pass.
"Run or fight?" she asked, her voice tight.
Riven smirked, his grip tightening on his blades. "Both."
The creature lunged.
The creature lunged forward with a speed that belied its massive form, its emberstone veins glowing brighter as it moved. Alexa barely had time to react. She threw herself to the side, the jagged edges of the cliff scraping against her shoulder as the beast's claws raked the ground where she had stood a heartbeat earlier.
Riven darted in the opposite direction, his movements fluid and precise. "Keep it distracted!" he shouted, the twin flashes of his rune-etched blades catching the dim light.
"Distract it? Are you insane?" Alexa shot back, scrambling to her feet. The pendant flared again, casting golden light across the narrow pass. The creature recoiled, snarling as if the light burned its corrupted flesh.
"It doesn't like that thing!" Riven called, circling to the beast's side. "Use it!"
The creature's molten eyes locked onto Alexa, its jagged maw opening in a guttural roar. She tightened her grip on the pendant and her dagger, her pulse pounding in her ears. Running wasn't an option, not in this confined space. The only way out was through.
Drawing a deep breath, Alexa raised the pendant higher. The runes etched into its surface flared brighter, their light momentarily halting the creature's advance. The beast reared back, but its hesitation was brief. It lashed out with one massive claw, shattering the stones beneath her feet and forcing her to leap away.
Riven seized the opportunity, darting in from the side. His blades moved in a blur, carving glowing runes through the air as he struck. The creature howled in rage as his strikes connected, leaving shallow gashes in its emberstone-tinged flesh. But the wounds healed almost instantly, the veins pulsating with dark energy.
"Not great," Riven muttered, dodging another swipe of the creature's claws. "Any other brilliant ideas?"
The pendant pulsed against Alexa's chest, its heat searing now. She could feel its pull—not just guiding her, but urging her to act. The faint hum of its power resonated in her mind, aligning with the threads of fate she couldn't yet fully see.
"Keep it busy!" she yelled, moving toward the creature's flank.
"Busy? Sure," Riven replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He slashed at the beast's legs, his movements calculated but increasingly desperate. "I'll just have a nice chat with it!"
Alexa ignored him, focusing on the pendant. Its light intensified, and she felt the threads of fate tugging at her senses, showing her faint glimpses of the creature's movements before they happened. When it turned to swipe at her, she was already moving, ducking beneath its claws and driving her dagger into a weak point just below its shoulder.
The beast roared, its molten eyes blazing brighter. Alexa staggered back as it writhed, but the pendant's glow didn't fade. Instead, it spread across the creature's body, illuminating the emberstone veins and the dark tendrils of corruption entwined within them.
Riven's eyes widened as he saw the change. "Whatever you're doing, do it faster!"
Alexa gritted her teeth, holding the pendant steady as its light grew blinding. The creature thrashed, its movements erratic as the golden glow seeped into its core. She could feel the threads shifting, tightening around the beast's form, as though binding it in place.
But the effort was draining. The pendant's heat was almost unbearable now, and her vision blurred as the energy surged through her. The creature let out one final, deafening roar before collapsing, its emberstone veins dimming as the corruption burned away.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of Alexa's ragged breathing. She staggered back, the pendant's glow fading as she clutched it against her chest. Her dagger slipped from her grasp, clattering against the stone.
Riven approached cautiously, his blades still drawn. He nudged the beast's lifeless form with his boot, then let out a low whistle. "Well, that was dramatic."
Alexa shot him a glare, too exhausted to muster a proper retort. She sank to her knees, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her breath. The pendant was cool now, its hum faint but steady, like a heartbeat slowly returning to normal.
Riven crouched beside her, his expression unreadable. "You alright?"
"Define alright," she muttered, not looking at him.
He shrugged, sliding his blades back into their sheaths. "You're alive. That counts for something."
Alexa let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "That thing... It wasn't natural. It was corrupted."
"No kidding," Riven said, his tone grim. He gestured to the faint cracks in the ground around them, still glowing with emberstone light. "This place is tainted. Has been for a long time. But I've never seen anything like that before."
"The Unmaker," Alexa said softly, the words escaping her before she realized she'd spoken them.
Riven's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the pendant. "I don't know. It's just... something I felt. Like the pendant was showing me. That thing—it was part of something bigger. Something worse."
Riven studied her for a moment, then stood, offering her a hand. "Come on. We can't stay here. If that thing didn't kill us, the Dominion will."
Reluctantly, Alexa took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. Her legs were unsteady, but she forced herself to keep moving. The pass stretched ahead of them, the cliffs casting long shadows as the light continued to fade.
As they moved deeper into the Highlands, Alexa couldn't shake the feeling that the pendant's guidance was leading her toward something even more dangerous. And for the first time, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was.
The narrow pass gave way to a jagged plateau, its surface cracked and uneven, dotted with pools of molten emberstone. The air was oppressive, thick with the heat radiating from below. Alexa and Riven moved carefully, their footsteps deliberate to avoid loose rock or unstable ground. Every so often, the faint growl of distant volcanic activity rumbled through the Highlands, a reminder that even the land itself was a threat.
Alexa glanced at Riven, who walked a few paces ahead. He moved with an ease that frustrated her, his amber eyes scanning the terrain as if he belonged here. Meanwhile, her legs ached, and the residual heat from the pendant still burned faintly against her chest. She felt like an outsider, barely holding her own in a world that seemed determined to kill her.
"Where exactly are we going?" she asked, her voice cutting through the heavy silence.
"There's a waypoint up ahead," Riven replied without looking back. "Hidden, but intact enough to give us some cover. Assuming the Dominion hasn't found it."
Alexa frowned. "You're sure it's there?"
"Reasonably," Riven said, his tone casual. "And if it's not, I'll come up with something else. I'm resourceful like that."
She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. The pendant pulsed faintly, its pull less urgent now but still guiding her in roughly the same direction. Whether that was a good sign or not, she couldn't say.
The ground shifted beneath her feet as a loose stone gave way, and she stumbled, catching herself on a jagged rock. Riven turned at the sound, his brow furrowed.
"You good?"
"Fine," Alexa snapped, brushing herself off. "The terrain's just trying to kill me, like everything else here."
Riven smirked. "You get used to it."
"I doubt it."
He turned away, his expression softening slightly as he scanned the horizon. "We don't have far to go. Just stay close."
Reluctantly, Alexa followed, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. The pendant's faint hum was a constant reminder of its presence, a weight she couldn't ignore. She wasn't sure if it was protecting her or drawing her closer to danger—or both.
The waypoint revealed itself slowly, its presence almost obscured by the rugged terrain. A cluster of broken pillars jutted from the ground like jagged teeth, their surfaces etched with runes too faint to read from a distance. At the center stood an ancient obelisk, its surface cracked but glowing faintly with the same golden light as the pendant.
Alexa stopped short, her breath catching as the pendant's hum intensified, the warmth against her chest now unmistakable. She stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the obelisk as a strange sense of familiarity washed over her.
"This is it," she said softly.
Riven glanced at her, then at the obelisk. "You sound awfully sure."
"The pendant," Alexa replied, pulling it from beneath her cloak. The runes on its surface flared, casting golden light across the broken ground. "It's reacting to this."
Riven's expression hardened as he approached the obelisk, his fingers brushing the hilt of one of his blades. "It's old. Older than anything the Dominion's touched in this region. But it's still intact."
Alexa stepped closer, the pendant pulsing faster now. She could feel the threads of fate tugging at her senses, urging her forward. Her fingers brushed the surface of the obelisk, and the runes flared brighter, their light spreading outward like ripples in a pond.
The air shifted, growing heavy and charged with energy. Riven took a step back, his hand on his blade. "What did you do?"
"I don't know," Alexa admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
The light from the obelisk coalesced into a shimmering image above it—a map of sorts, its lines and symbols shifting and writhing like living things. At its center was a glowing blade, its hilt wrapped in threads that spiraled outward like a web. The map pulsed with a rhythmic glow, and a voice—soft and ethereal—echoed in the stillness.
"The threads are fraying," it said, its tone mournful and urgent. "The blade binds all fates. Seek it, or lose all to the Unmaker."
Alexa's heart raced as the words sank in. She turned to Riven, whose expression was unreadable. "What does it mean?"
"It means we're running out of time," Riven said grimly. "And so is everything else."
Before Alexa could respond, the obelisk pulsed again, sending a shockwave of energy rippling through the air. The pendant flared in response, its light almost blinding as it resonated with the obelisk's power. Alexa staggered back, clutching the pendant as the ground beneath her feet trembled.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded.
Riven's gaze snapped to the horizon, his posture tense. "That was a beacon. The Dominion will have felt it."
Alexa's stomach tightened. "How far?"
"Far enough that we've got a head start," Riven said, already moving. "But not far enough to waste time standing here."
The obelisk's light dimmed, its runes fading back to faint lines. The map lingered for a moment longer before dissolving into golden sparks. Alexa stared at the empty air where it had been, the pendant's heat still radiating against her chest.
"Let's go," Riven called, his tone sharper now. "Unless you want to meet whoever's closest."
Reluctantly, Alexa turned away, falling into step behind him. The pendant's pull was stronger now, guiding her with a clarity she hadn't felt since leaving the ruins of Aedrion. But the voice's warning echoed in her mind, its urgency pressing against her thoughts.
The blade binds all fates.
And the threads are fraying.
The oppressive heat of the Ember Highlands pressed against Alexa's skin as she followed Riven, her breath coming in short bursts. The ground beneath her boots was treacherous, a mix of jagged stone and loose ash that shifted unpredictably. She kept one hand on her dagger, the other clutching the pendant that now pulsed with urgent warmth against her palm.
"We can't outrun them forever," Alexa said, glancing over her shoulder. The faint rumble of pursuit echoed in the distance, a sound that sent a chill down her spine despite the heat.
"We don't need forever," Riven replied, his voice calm but tense. "Just long enough to make them regret following us."
The pendant flared again, its light cutting through the dimness like a beacon. Alexa frowned, the pull sharper now, more insistent. It was guiding her—not away from the Dominion but toward something deeper in the Highlands. She tightened her grip, her mind racing. Why was it leading them further into danger?
"Whatever your trinket is doing," Riven said, glancing at the pendant, "I hope it knows something I don't. Because heading that way isn't exactly comforting."
Alexa ignored him, quickening her pace. The jagged cliffs gave way to a steep incline, the ground fractured with glowing veins of emberstone. The pendant burned hotter as they climbed, its hum resonating in her chest. She didn't need to say anything; Riven followed, his blades drawn, his gaze scanning the horizon.
They crested the incline, and Alexa froze. Below them, nestled in the shadow of a massive outcropping, was a cluster of ancient ruins. Stone arches jutted from the ground, their surfaces weathered but intact. Faint runes glimmered along the walls, their light pulsing in time with the pendant.
"This looks promising," Riven said, though his tone was wary.
Before Alexa could respond, a sharp crack split the air, followed by a burst of energy that seared past her shoulder. She ducked instinctively, the blast striking the ground ahead and sending shards of rock flying. Riven cursed, pulling her behind a jagged boulder as more blasts lit up the ridge.
"They're here," he hissed, peering around the edge of their cover.
Alexa's chest tightened as she spotted the dark silhouettes of Dominion enforcers cresting the hill behind them. Their blackened armor gleamed in the faint light, their movements precise and relentless. At the center of the group was a figure she recognized immediately: the masked leader whose voice still haunted her from the ruins of Aedrion.
"You really know how to attract attention," Riven muttered, pulling one of his rune-etched vials from his belt. He tossed it toward the enforcers, the glass shattering in a flash of blinding light. The Dominion forces hesitated, their advance momentarily stalled.
"We need to move!" Riven barked, pulling Alexa to her feet.
The pendant pulsed violently now, its light flaring as if in warning. Alexa's head whipped around as the ground beneath them trembled, cracks splintering outward from the ruins below. A guttural growl echoed through the air, deeper and more resonant than anything she had heard before. Her stomach dropped.
"Not again," she muttered.
From the center of the ruins, the ground collapsed inward, a dark fissure opening like a jagged wound. A shadow emerged, massive and coiling, its form shifting and writhing like smoke given shape. The creature's emberstone veins glowed faintly, but its body was covered in dark tendrils of corruption that pulsed with sickly green light. Its molten eyes locked onto the enforcers, and it roared—a sound that shook the cliffs.
"Well, that's convenient," Riven said, his voice dry as he yanked Alexa away from the ridge. "Let's let them deal with that, shall we?"
Alexa hesitated, her gaze flicking between the beast and the pendant. The pull was stronger than ever, drawing her toward the ruins even as chaos erupted around them. The Dominion enforcers opened fire, their blasts lighting up the night, but the creature moved with unnatural speed, dodging their attacks and striking back with claws that shattered stone.
"Alexa!" Riven shouted, snapping her out of her daze. "We don't have time for this!"
But she couldn't ignore the pendant. Its guidance was clearer than ever, pulling her toward the ruins, toward the heart of the chaos. She turned to Riven, her voice steady despite the fear gripping her.
"We have to go down there."
Riven stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "Down there? Into that?"
"The pendant is guiding me," Alexa said, her voice firm. "It's not a choice. It's what we have to do."
Riven cursed under his breath but didn't argue. "Fine. But if we die, I'm blaming you."
The ground trembled again as the creature roared, its massive form tearing through the ruins. Alexa gripped the pendant tightly, drawing strength from its warmth as she and Riven began their descent. The path ahead was treacherous, the air thick with heat and the acrid tang of magic, but she pressed forward, her heart pounding.
As they reached the edge of the ruins, the creature turned, its molten eyes locking onto them. Alexa's breath caught, but the pendant flared brightly, its light momentarily blinding. The creature recoiled, snarling as though the glow was unbearable.
"Whatever you're doing," Riven said, drawing his blades, "do it fast."
The pendant pulsed again, and Alexa felt the threads of fate tightening around her. The ruins were alive with energy, the runes glowing brighter as the chaos unfolded. Somewhere in the heart of the destruction, she knew, was the next step in her journey.
And the only way forward was through.