Serpent's Song: The Ballad of Jaiem

Chapter 7 -The Ruhk's Covenant-

Year 7 of the 5th era

We stand now before the ancient ruins, the remnants of a forgotten age etched into the very bones of this unforgiving land. The temple looms above us, its structure embedded deep into the cliffs as though the mountain itself had sought to cradle this once-great city. Stones worn smooth by centuries of wind and sand seem to pulse with secrets too long held.

Above us, banners bearing the marks of old empires sway like the river's current—rippling and bending under the wind's gentle hand. The eye of the snow jackals, the talon of the vulterrians, the star of Corabia's royalty—they hang there, tattered and worn, yet full of a dignity that time cannot strip away. As if defying the years, they seem to dance, even now, telling stories of alliances forged and battles fought.

This place is no mere ruin, Va'nesta and I can both feel it. The shadows cling to the stones, and the air hums with something older, something powerful. The silence is heavy, not of death, but of waiting. It is a silence of slumber, and we, dear brother, may well be the ones to awaken whatever sleeps within these walls.

May the spirits guide our steps.

signed Jaiem Solosso of Najmalara

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Jaiem closed his journal with a soft sigh, pocketing it swiftly into his robes. The air was still and dry around him, the faint sound of his brother sipping water the only noise in the camp. They had taken refuge in one of the Red Venom gang's abandoned tents, its fabric fluttering weakly in the desert breeze. It felt strange—too quiet for a place that should have been alive with the noise of their enemies.

He glanced over at Va'nesta, who leaned against a weathered wooden crate, drinking from their water flask. The older brother seemed at ease, but Jaiem could see the subtle tension in his frame. His eyes flickered now and then to the towering ruins ahead, the darkened, open halls seeming to beckon them inward, though not without a shadow of warning.

Jaiem followed his brother's gaze, staring at the massive temple embedded in the cliffside. It loomed over them like a giant, watching, waiting. The banners still rippled softly above the entrance, but the air itself felt... dead. He stood up slowly, stepping closer to the edge of the tent, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the abandoned camp.

"Va'nesta," Jaiem began, his voice breaking the stillness, "Doesn't it feel... off to you?"

Va'nesta lowered the flask and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked around the camp. "Off? How do you mean, Jaiem?"

Jaiem gestured toward the empty tents surrounding them. "The Red Venom gang... they had set up camp here, clearly. Supplies, weapons, all left behind. But where are they? Not even a single guard, not a scout in sight." His voice lowered as he glanced back toward the temple. "It feels like this place swallowed them whole."

Va'nesta stared at the ruins for a long moment, his usual light-hearted demeanor absent. "Yeah... I noticed that too. We've tangled with those bastards before. They don't just vanish. They're stubborn. Either they're waiting in the shadows to ambush us, or..." he trailed off, a dark thought lingering in the air.

"Or they've been taken by whatever lives inside those halls," Jaiem finished, his tone grim.

Va'nesta nodded, setting the flask down and rising to his feet. "It's too quiet here. No bodies, no blood, no sign of struggle. It's like they just packed up and left... but why leave everything behind?"

Jaiem shook his head. "I don't know, but whatever happened here... it feels like the life was drained out of this place. Like we're standing in the bones of something long dead."