Serpent's Song: The Ballad of Jaiem

Chapter 8 -In the Shadow of the Ruhk-

Year 7 of the 5th Era

We stand now at the threshold, where the shadows of the temple give way to the light of the valley, the Ruhk's nest. The air here feels thick with ancient power, like every stone remembers the weight of the great bird that once called this place home. The walls of the valley rise high around us, enclosing this secret, hidden from the eyes of the world for what feels like centuries. Yet here we are, Va'nesta and I, on the cusp of something monumental.

I cannot shake the feeling that we are standing in the echoes of history itself, that every step we take brings us closer to the truth. The ruins of Soloderum, the city upon the Ruhk's back, seem no longer like distant legend but something tangible, just beyond our reach. Xarion's words still linger in my mind, his divine voice guiding us to this moment. It was he who opened the way, and now, I feel the weight of destiny pushing us forward.

This valley, once a nest, now feels like a graveyard for forgotten dreams. Yet, somewhere within it, lies the path to the city of gales. I can feel it. The Ruhk, its towering form may be long gone, but its presence remains, an unspoken truth in the bones of the earth. We are so close now. I must believe that the answers we seek, the truth of Soloderum, await us. Whatever comes next, I am ready to face it.

We step into the nest of legends, and perhaps, into the heart of the truth itself.

-----

Jaiem tucked his journal into his cloak, hurriedly catching up to Va'nesta, who had already stepped outside the temple's massive stone doors. As Jaiem crossed the threshold, the harsh desert wind struck him, carrying the sharp sting of black sand. Before them stretched an immense desert, its dunes rippling like waves frozen in time. The sand was dark, almost obsidian in color, and shimmered under the intense sunlight like the surface of a blackened sea. Jagged rock formations jutted out from the desert floor, their shadows long and foreboding under the towering cliffs that enclosed the valley like an impenetrable fortress.

In the distance, the macabre sight of skeletons crucified to weathered wooden crosses broke the desolate horizon. Their bones bleached under the relentless sun, tied to the remains of a long-forgotten punishment, while the tattered banners of ancient kingdoms flapped in the wind. The banners, ragged and faded, bore the symbols of long-lost empires, relics of a time when this valley was not just a place of death and ruin, but a thriving center of power. They fluttered weakly in the desert gusts, like ghosts of a forgotten past whispering across the sands.

Further out, Jaiem could make out the crumbling ruins of an ancient city nestled under the cliffs' shadow. Once-mighty towers lay in rubble, and stone walls, weathered by the centuries, were now half-buried in the black sand. Broken statues and pillars littered the landscape, evidence of a civilization that had been swallowed by the desert, leaving only whispers of its former glory. What remained of it now seemed little more than a refuge for bandits and scavengers, scavenging the remnants of an era long since passed.

The air was still, oppressive, and thick with the weight of forgotten history. Jaiem glanced at Va'nesta, who stared silently ahead, his expression grim as they took in the enormity of the valley.

As Jaiem and Va'nesta stood in silent awe of the desolate valley, the familiar presence of Xarion's voice filled their minds once again. It was not loud, nor forceful, but ancient and solemn, carrying the weight of eons.

"This valley... once fertile and alive, was seared by the flames of the Ruhk's ascension. When it took to the skies, its fire scorched the earth, leaving nothing but ash and stone in its wake. What you now see is the graveyard of a world that thrived beneath its wings. The cliffs, the sands—they bear the scars of the beast's power, now dormant, hidden away."