Morning came too soon. The air in Velantis carried a crisp chill, yet the bustling streets outside were already alive with activity. Calypsius strapped Valenyr to his back, its familiar weight a constant reminder of the path they were on. Ellara adjusted the hood of her cloak, her sharp eyes scanning the narrow inn hallway as they made their way downstairs.
The innkeeper, a stout dwarven woman with a cheery disposition, waved them off with a tray of fresh bread and fruit. "Safe travels, strangers," she said, her warm smile belying the graveness of the road ahead.
"We'll need it," Ellara replied, her tone dry.
Outside, Velantis was a mosaic of color and movement. Merchants barked their wares, children darted through the crowd, and travelers from all walks of life exchanged stories and supplies. Calypsius found himself briefly mesmerized by the harmony of the town. It was rare to see such coexistence—elves, humans, orcs, and more, all working side by side. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if the rest of the world could ever find this kind of balance.
Ellara nudged him. "Come on. We have a lot of ground to cover today."
He nodded, following her lead as they navigated toward the outskirts of the town. The crystalline shard from the robed figure pulsed faintly in his pouch, a subtle tugging sensation guiding their steps.
"Where does it lead first?" Ellara asked, glancing over at him.
Calypsius pulled the shard from his pouch and held it in his palm. The faint glow pulsed steadily, brighter when he turned toward a jagged mountain range visible on the horizon. "There," he said, pointing.
Ellara frowned. "Mount Eryndale. I've heard stories about that place. Dangerous terrain, unpredictable weather… and worse things than shadows lurking in the caves."
"Sounds like exactly where we'd be heading," Calypsius muttered, slipping the shard back into his pouch.
As they left Velantis behind, the lively sounds of the town faded, replaced by the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant cries of birds. The road became narrower and rougher, winding its way through dense woodland.
Hours passed in relative silence, broken only by the occasional exchange of words or the crunch of boots on gravel. The shard's faint tug grew stronger with every step, leading them closer to the mountains that loomed ever larger ahead.
By midday, the sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows across the uneven trail. They stopped briefly by a bubbling stream to refill their waterskins and eat some of the provisions they'd purchased in Velantis.
Ellara broke the silence as she wiped her blade clean with a cloth. "Do you ever think about what happens if we don't make it?"
Calypsius looked up from his meal, startled by the question. "What do you mean?"
She shrugged, her gaze fixed on the stream. "We're chasing something we barely understand. The Spire, the Court, the sword… it feels like we're just pawns in someone else's game."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I think about it all the time. But I also think about what happens if we don't try. If the Court gets what they want, there might not be a world left to save."
Ellara nodded, though her expression remained troubled. "Still, it's hard not to wonder how much of this is really our choice."
"It's not," Calypsius admitted, his voice quiet. "But that doesn't mean we can just give up."
She glanced at him, her expression softening. "You're right. I just hope we're ready for whatever's waiting for us."
They resumed their journey, the tension between them replaced by a shared determination. The forest began to thin as they climbed higher into the foothills, the air growing colder and thinner.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the horizon in hues of orange and pink, the shard's pulsing became erratic, almost frantic.
"We're close," Calypsius said, his voice tense.
Ellara scanned the landscape ahead. The forest gave way to rocky terrain, and in the distance, they could see the entrance to a narrow canyon.
"That doesn't look like a welcoming path," she remarked, her hand instinctively resting on the hilt of her dagger.
"It's where the shard is leading us," Calypsius said, his grip tightening on Valenyr's hilt. "Whatever's in there, we'll face it together."
The canyon walls towered above them, casting long shadows that swallowed the fading daylight. The air inside was eerily still, the silence broken only by the faint drip of water echoing off the stone.
"This place feels wrong," Ellara muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Calypsius nodded. The shard in his hand pulsed with a frantic urgency now, its glow barely illuminating the narrow path ahead. He could feel Valenyr responding to the energy in the air, the blade humming faintly at his side.
As they ventured deeper into the canyon, a low growl echoed through the air. Both of them froze, their weapons drawn in an instant.
"Did you hear that?" Ellara whispered.
"Yeah," Calypsius replied, his eyes scanning the darkness.
The growl came again, louder this time, accompanied by the sound of claws scraping against stone. A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the shadows ahead, followed by another, and another.
"Voidspawn," Ellara hissed, her voice laced with anger.
Calypsius raised Valenyr, its light cutting through the darkness like a blade. "They're not going to make this easy, are they?"
"They never do," Ellara said, her daggers gleaming in the faint light.
The Voidspawn lunged, their shadowy forms moving with terrifying speed. Calypsius met the first one head-on, Valenyr's blade slicing cleanly through its body. The creature dissolved into black mist, but two more took its place.
Ellara moved with precision, her daggers flashing as she danced around their attackers. The Voidspawn were relentless, their claws and teeth striking with deadly force, but she held her ground.
Calypsius felt the familiar surge of power coursing through him as Valenyr's light grew brighter. The sword seemed to guide his movements, each strike more precise than the last.
"Keep moving!" he shouted, cutting down another Voidspawn.
Ellara nodded, spinning away from an incoming strike and landing a killing blow on another creature. Together, they pushed forward, their path illuminated by Valenyr's glow.
The battle seemed endless, the canyon echoing with the sounds of steel and snarls. But eventually, the Voidspawn began to retreat, their numbers dwindling until only silence remained.
Breathing heavily, Calypsius lowered Valenyr, its light dimming once more. "Is it just me, or are they getting stronger?"
"It's not just you," Ellara said, wiping blood from her cheek. "We need to keep moving. If those things are here, it means the Court isn't far behind."
Calysius nodded, gripping the shard tightly. Its glow was steady once more, guiding them toward the canyon's end—and whatever awaited them beyond.