The Ember Ravine did not welcome intruders.
It exhaled.
Heat rose from cracked earth in shimmering waves, distorting the horizon into a mirage of molten gold and fractured stone. Rivers of magma pulsed lazily through jagged channels, casting flickering orange light against cliffs blackened by centuries of flame.
Ethan stood at the ridge overlooking it.
Behind him—
Frost.
Shadow.
Before him—
Fire.
"So this is her backyard," he muttered.
Lyssara's voice was calm but edged. "Not entirely. It borders her primary dominion. This territory is contested."
Kaelith's crimson eyes scanned the ravine below. "Which means it is unstable."
The system flickered into view.
Territory: Ember RavineStatus: Minor Sovereign Domain (Unaligned)Dominance Level: 63% Wild AuthorityPrimary Threat: Flame-Touched Behemoth
Ethan exhaled slowly.
"Let me guess," he said. "If I subdue the Behemoth, I claim the core."
"Yes," Lyssara replied.
"And if Valyra does it first?" he asked.
