The journey had been swift. What should have taken weeks by land had taken only a handful of days aboard the Nightshade. Ethan and his crew remained vigilant, the anticipation of their destination weighing on them. As the airship approached, the sight of Leandria Fortress took their breath away.
Even in its ruined state, the fortress exuded a formidable presence. Its towering outer walls, though cracked and veined with creeping ivy, still stood strong against the encroaching wilderness. Weeds sprouted from the stone crevices, nature slowly reclaiming what had once been a bastion of power. Shadows stretched long in the fading light, casting eerie shapes across the landscape.
The Nightshade descended carefully, touching down just outside a partially collapsed section of the fortress wall. Ethan stepped forward, his boots crunching over scattered debris as he took in the sight before him.
He had left Annalise behind; he needed to be sure the place was safe before she came out.
"This place still holds power," Lucian murmured, his sharp eyes scanning the towering structure, shock written all over his face. "Even in ruin, you can feel it."
Seraphine nodded, her gloved fingers brushing against the weathered stone. "It was built to last, even against time itself," she said, gazing at the place with wonder.
Ethan turned to his team. "Let's move carefully. We don't know what we'll find."
The group advanced, slipping through a breach in the wall. The interior of the fortress stretched vast and empty before them. Unlike most strongholds, Leandria had no bustling market squares or trade districts. This was no city—it was a pure military compound, designed for war and war alone. Barracks, armories, training yards, and strategic planning halls lined the streets, now eerily silent.
As they walked, echoes of the past whispered through the abandoned corridors. Rusted weapons lay scattered—remnants of old battles. Shields hung in disrepair on the walls, their sigils faded and forgotten. But it was not only time that had left its mark—there were darker remnants.
Aldric knelt by a scorched section of the stone floor. "This wasn't just abandoned. Something happened here."
The others gathered around. Strange markings were burned into the walls—symbols of long-forgotten rituals. Remnants of twisted experiments lingered: broken vials, rusted chains, and eerie stains that had seeped deep into the stone.
Garrick exhaled sharply. "Tsk. As expected—they were really doing evil experiments in this place," he said with a shrug.
Seraphine's expression darkened. "This fortress wasn't just a stronghold. It was a testing ground."
Ethan clenched his jaw. He had known Leandria's history was shrouded in shadow, but seeing the evidence firsthand made it all the more real.
"Spread out," he ordered. "Document everything. We need to know what we're dealing with."
The team split up, carefully exploring the fortress grounds. The more they uncovered, the clearer it became—this place could still serve a purpose. Though some buildings had crumbled, many remained structurally sound.
Aldric, who had been inspecting the watchtowers, returned with his report. "Some of the defenses could be restored. The mana-infused stone still holds power, even after all these years."
Lucian, having examined the barracks, added, "The living quarters are salvageable. They need work, but they can be rebuilt."
Ethan nodded. If Leandria could be revived, it could serve as a strategic base—one they desperately needed.
Inside the central keep, they found more signs of the fortress's grim past. The main hall, though dust-covered and neglected, still bore the grandeur of its former purpose. A large war table stood in the center, its surface marred by age but still intact. Torn banners of forgotten campaigns hung limply from the walls.
Then they found the dungeons.
Cold and unforgiving, the cells still held rusted chains and remnants of those who had been imprisoned here. Skeletons lay slumped against the walls, their fate long sealed. Some bore signs of unnatural experimentation—bones twisted in unnatural ways, traces of dark energy still lingering in the air.
Seraphine shivered. "How many died here?"
Ethan's expression was grim. "Too many."
Beyond the dungeons, they explored the rest of the keep. They found storage rooms filled with old supplies—some rotted beyond use, others surprisingly well-preserved. The kitchen, though ruined, still contained cooking tools and long-abandoned meal preparations frozen in time.
At last, in a hidden chamber beneath the keep, they discovered the tunnels.
Lucian found the entrance first, his keen eyes catching the outline of a concealed door. With some effort, they forced it open, revealing a descending passageway carved into the stone. The air inside was cool and stale, untouched for decades.
"These tunnels lead out of the fortress," Lucian observed, examining the walls. "Likely used for escape or covert movement."
Ethan stepped forward, the flickering torchlight casting long shadows. "We'll explore them soon, but not today. It's getting dark. Aldric, go get Annalise—it seems everything looks safe for now."
Aldric nodded and left to get Annalise.
"The rest of us will regroup in the main hall."
The others nodded in agreement. They had learned much, but the fortress still held secrets.
As they regrouped in the main hall, Ethan looked around at his team. "This place can be restored. It won't be easy, but we can rebuild it."
Garrick crossed his arms. "It'll take time, but it's worth it. This fortress was built for war, and war is coming."
Seraphine exhaled, a mix of exhaustion and determination in her eyes. "Then we'd best get to work."
Ethan gazed around at Leandria Fortress—the forgotten bastion of the past. It had once been a place of strength and darkness alike, but now, it could become something more.
The road ahead would not be easy, but he knew one thing for certain.
Annalise remained aboard the Nightshade, waiting. Ethan had told her to stay put until he confirmed it was safe, but it had been a while now, and worry gnawed at her. The sun had dipped below the horizon—darkness was quickly setting in.
She hadn't seen Leandria in her visions, so she didn't know what it would look like, but now that she was this close, she had to admit—it was massive. Large enough to fit a town's worth of people.
She had been concerned the place would be in ruins, but to her surprise, it wasn't as bad as she had expected.
What's taking them so long? she thought. I hope they're okay. After all, this place was abandoned for a long time. There could have been monsters—
"Your Grace—"
"Ahhh!" Her heart jumped to her throat. Annalise turned toward the voice and saw Aldric standing at the door, one hand to his chest in a slight bow.
"My goodness, it's you, Ser Aldric. I'm sorry—I got startled. I must've been too deep in thought to notice you," she said, her heart pounding like a drum.
"Forgive me, Your Grace. I must've been too quiet for you to hear me—it's a force of habit," he said, tipping his head in apology.
"I've come to collect you, Your Grace. We've done a sweep of the place. Everything seems fine. Ethan and the rest of the group are in the main hall and setting up camp there."
"Oh, is that so? Then lead the way," Annalise said, getting up from where she had been sitting.
"This way, Your Grace."
"Thank you, Ser Aldric."
Annalise stepped out of the Nightshade and into the night.
Oh, it's already dark. I must have been thinking too deeply to notice.
They moved quietly, Aldric in front, leading her to where the group was located.
Then there was a shift in the air. The wind suddenly stopped. Everything went silent.
Aldric, noticing the shift in the air, froze and signaled for her to stop and remain silent.
There was a pause. They stood completely still, Aldric reaching for his sword—before all hell broke loose.
Then—BOOM.
A monster dive-bombed from the moonlight, shattering the ground on impact and sending both Annalise and Aldric flying before they could react.
The force that struck Annalise was so great that she blacked out before she even hit the ground with a deafening thud.
Aldric, ever the skilled knight, managed to minimize the impact. He landed on his feet with a stumble.
"Your Grace!" Aldric shouted.
He regained his footing and rushed to where Annalise lay flat on her face, blood gushing from her top left forehead. His heart pounded as he checked if she was still breathing.
She was alive.
He let out a breath. Just unconscious from the shock. But she was bleeding heavily. He had to stop the blood loss.
Aldric looked to where the creature had landed.
A Vyrulf. Shit. I wasn't expecting this.
The Vyrulf was a monstrous fusion of direwolf and wyvern. It stood on four muscular limbs, but its front legs could extend into leathery, bat-like wings for gliding or short aerial lunges. Its fur was a deep obsidian black, with faint, glowing lines of bioluminescence that pulsed like veins—visible only in darkness. Its head was elongated and draconic, with a snarling maw full of hooked, backward-facing fangs. A mane of sharp, ridge-like scales ran from crown to tail. Its eyes were vertical slits glowing cold blue, and its breath misted with a chilling aura.
To be continued...