The Crimson Wastes stretched out before them, a sea of blood-red sand and jagged rock, unending in all directions. The sun had burned high above, and the heat was oppressive. Their horses threw up dust as they rode hard toward their next destination—Valthir's Hollow.
Kaela adjusted her scarf over her face, shielding herself from the wind. "We'd better find shelter soon. Another hour in this heat, and we'll be the ones buried in the sand."
Aeron didn't respond. His mind was still replaying the words of the wraith from the ruins.
The Shadowborn watches. The Riftbearer must fall.
It wasn't just a warning. It was a threat.
Kaela nudged her horse closer. "You're thinking too much again."
Aeron let out a breath, holding the reins. "It's difficult not to."
Kaela pointed toward the horizon. "Good news: I see a canyon up ahead. If Valthir's Hollow exists, it'll be there."
Aeron examined the landscape. The red sands sloped into a chain of canyons, their walls shadowed with ancient symbols. The farther they descended, the colder the air grew.
But the quiet was unsettling.
Kaela nocked an arrow. "I don't like this."
Aeron climbed down and trailed his hand over a nearby rock face. More Riftguard symbols. This was the spot.
But something was off.
The Hollow's Guardian
The ground shook.
Aeron and Kaela stood still.
Then—the sand under them shifted.
A huge form emerged from the dunes, sending loose layers of dust and debris tumbling.
Kaela's eyes went wide. "Oh, come on."
The creature that emerged was colossal—its body made of hardened stone, shaped like a monstrous serpent. Glowing runes pulsed along its form, ancient magic keeping it alive.
A Stone Warden.
The guardian of Valthir's Hollow.
It turned its head toward them, its eyes burning with blue fire. Then it spoke—its voice deep and thunderous.
"None may enter the Hollow."
Kaela groaned. "I hate magic ruins."
Aeron readied his hammer. "We're entering anyway."
The Warden lunged.
The Battle at the Hollow's Gate
Aeron just avoided as the Warden's enormous tail crashed into the earth, cracking rock.
Kaela shot an arrow—it fizzled harmlessly off the stone hide.
"Great. It's rock-made."
Aeron avoided another blow, taking in the Warden's form. There—the glowing runes. They weren't ornamentation. They were its vulnerabilities.
"Attack the runes!" he yelled.
Kaela nodded, swiftly nocking a second arrow. This one wasn't standard—it was coated with explosive powder.
She shot.
**The arrow hit a rune on the Warden's side—**and exploded.
The Warden bellowed, its body shaking as cracks radiated from the ruined rune.
Aeron seized the moment.
He sprang ahead, hammer up high. The silver fire burst as he brought it down—right onto another rune.
BOOM.
The impact jolted a shockwave through the canyon.
The Warden shuddered, its form collapsing piece by piece.
With one final, pained groan, the massive creature crumbled into dust.
Kaela dusted herself off. "That was exhausting."
Aeron exhaled. "We're not done yet."
The Entrance to Valthir's Hollow
Where the Warden had stood, the ground had cracked open. Beneath it, a stairway spiraled into the depths.
Aeron and Kaela exchanged glances.
"This is it," Aeron said.
Kaela drew out a torch, igniting it. "Then let's see what's so important down there."
With careful tread, they made their way down into the Hollow.
The darkness enveloped them.