he gates of the Hollow Bastion loomed before them, an impenetrable wall of obsidian and voidsteel. Dark sigils pulsed along its surface, emitting a low hum that reverberated through the air like a heartbeat. Drakar stepped forward, his emberlit eyes narrowing as the ancient fortress seemed to breathe with malevolent intent.
Elara Wynvaris approached, frost-blue energy gathering around her hands. "These gates aren't just locked—they're alive. This is a binding seal crafted by warlocks. We'll need more than brute strength to break it."
Vaelen, still pale but determined, raised his staff. "A disruption spell could sever the core, but I'll need time to focus."
Seris scanned the ridge above them, her daggers gleaming in the dim light. "Then we hold this ground until it's done. No matter what comes through those gates."
Drakar turned to Taronis and Kaelen. "Form a defensive perimeter. We don't leave Vaelen exposed."
Taronis nodded, lifting his shield. "Understood."
Kaelen nocked an arrow, his sharp eyes fixed on the shadows that writhed along the battlements. "Let them come."
The Ritual Begins
Vaelen knelt at the base of the gate, muttering incantations as glyphs of silver light spiraled outward from his staff. The air thickened with arcane energy, the runes glowing with increasing intensity.
Emberfang paced near Drakar, his violet eyes reflecting the sigils' glow. The wolf-dragon let out a low growl, his ears flattening. The tension in the air was palpable.
Seris shifted beside Drakar, her gaze never leaving the shadows pooling at the edges of the path. "It feels like the gate is... watching us."
Before Drakar could respond, the ground beneath their feet rumbled. The sigils on the gate flared violently, and from the dark crevices of the citadel, a booming voice reverberated. "You dare defile the gates of the Bastion?"
The shadows gathered and coalesced, forming a towering figure clad in void-forged armor. The creature's helm glowed with twin embers, its voice a rumble of distant thunder. Taronis's grip tightened on his sword. "Void Warden," he muttered.
The knight's massive blade, forged from jagged voidsteel, shimmered with malevolent energy. Without warning, the creature charged, its strides shaking the earth.
The Warden of Ash
"Hold the line!" Drakar shouted as he met the Warden's charge head-on. His ember-forged dagger clashed against the voidsteel blade, sending sparks of crimson and obsidian into the air. The sheer force of the impact sent a shockwave through the ground.
Elara darted to the side, her frost blade slicing toward the Warden's exposed flank. Ice crystals spread across its armor, slowing its movements, but the creature roared and shattered the frost with a pulse of dark energy.
Kaelen's arrows rained down from above, each shot precise and deadly. One struck the Warden's shoulder joint, causing it to stagger. Seris moved in, her daggers flashing as she weaved between strikes, landing precise blows.
The Warden let out a guttural roar and swung its massive blade in a wide arc. The air itself seemed to bend as the wave of shadow surged outward. Emberfang lunged, clamping his jaws onto the knight's arm and wrenching it back. The voidsteel blade fell from the Warden's grasp with a deafening clang.
Drakar seized the opening, channeling emberlight through his dagger as he plunged it into the Warden's chest. The sigils on the blade flared, spreading like veins of fire through the voidsteel. The Warden let out a final, unearthly scream as its form crumbled into ash.
Breaking the Seal
Vaelen's incantation reached its peak as the final glyph flared with silver light. The sigils on the gate pulsed, their hum turning into a sharp, discordant wail. With a resounding crack, the seal shattered, and the massive gates began to creak open.
A gust of cold, stale air swept out from the darkness within. Emberfang growled low, his fur bristling.
Elara stepped closer to Drakar, her voice low. "Whatever lies beyond this gate... it's waiting for us."
Drakar's emberlit gaze didn't waver. "Then we won't keep it waiting."
The Descent
The gates groaned as they opened fully, revealing a vast hall shrouded in shadows. Pillars of obsidian lined the path, etched with ancient runes that pulsed faintly with dark light. The ceiling arched high above, veiled in a thick mist.
The warriors of Aerthas followed cautiously, their boots echoing against the stone floor. Vaelen's staff glowed, casting soft halos of light that revealed cracks in the ancient structure.
Seris's voice was barely a whisper. "I've seen places like this in old texts. They called them shadow crucibles—places where magic was corrupted and twisted."
Kaelen's eyes darted to the shadows along the walls. "Then we're walking into the heart of darkness."
Elara's frost blade pulsed faintly as she stepped forward. "Stay close. No one strays."
As they advanced, the cold intensified. Frost began to creep along the floor, though the frost didn't belong to Elara's magic. Drakar noticed the breath of his warriors forming thick plumes.
The shadows shifted. From the darkness, spectral figures emerged—humanoid but twisted, their faces obscured by wisps of shadow. Their blades glimmered with dark runes.
Taronis raised his shield. "Defensive formation!"
Drakar's tattoos ignited as he raised his dagger. "We've come this far. We're not stopping now!"
The first shadow lunged, its form blurring as it surged forward. Drakar parried, the sound of steel on steel ringing out. Emberfang slammed into another specter, sending it crashing into a pillar.
Elara and Seris fought back-to-back, their blades weaving through the onslaught. Kaelen's arrows flew with deadly precision, striking down shadows before they could close in.
The shadows whispered as they fought, their voices faint but chilling. Turn back... or be consumed.
Vaelen's chant echoed in the chamber, steady despite the chaos. His wards shimmered, forming protective barriers around the group.
Drakar's breath was steady despite the cold. He could feel the weight of history pressing in on them—the echoes of battles long forgotten, the remnants of an ancient war still lingering.