Shards of Felwyn

Xhalo Ravine

The sun crested over the high summits of Xhalo Ravine as Cosmo, Lysander, and Elias finished packing up their supplies. Among the boys, they carried their bowl for cooking, spare firewood, a handful of Trezchina nuts, some wild berries, their weapons, and most importantly, the Divine Prism.

The cool morning air reminded Cosmo of home, his heart ached for all that he had lost the day his home was attacked. Refusing to dwell on the fact, however, he stood tall and followed Lysander and Elias, who were hiking down a nearby switchback that led to the base of the ravine. The march there was a funeral dirge, quiet, with the ravine laid out in front of them in a foreboding manner.

An hour later, the group had trekked their way to the base of the ravine, where the air was stifling and wet. The temperature seemed to be at least twenty degrees higher and Cosmo could already feel sweat dripping down his back. A small trickle of water ran down the middle of the ravine, barely moving and even stagnant and some places.

"The Muereden River." Elias pointed at the trickle of water on the ground as the three began walking south down the ravine. He chuckled. "The Dead River."

The smothering heat and extreme humidity made every step in Xhalo Ravine arduous. The scenery was drab and red, with dead brush sticking out of cracks in the grimrock. The water in the air turned into a deep gray fog and soon the boys could no longer see the edge of the cliffs above them, nor the path behind them. It was when their vision became this obscured that Elias held out his hand to the side, signaling for the boys to stop.

"Stop, don't move an inch." He muttered, focused upon something on the ground. Cosmo's mind instantly flashed back to Elias's warning of the wyvern. Panic rose in his heart and a cold sweat ran down his back. His nerves were soon interrupted by Lysander, who was looking into the sky, squinting through the mist.

"What is that awful smell?" He asked, looking around. It was true, ever since the mist had risen, an acrid scent had been plaguing the three's noses. Cosmo had assumed it to be a dying animal and ignored it's pungence.

"This is the culprit." Elias stated, with a grim look on his face. He pointed the tip of his sword to the ground, where a golden liquid of sorts had pooled in the rock. It swirled and shifted between brilliant gold and void black. Cosmo shivered. "Wyvern poison."

"What?" Cosmo jumped, immediately becoming quieter and trying to make as little noise as possible. "Why is it on the ground? Has the wyvern already discovered our position?" Lysander's eyes were dinner plates as he frantically looked into the dense fog.

"No, if the beast had found us, we would not be having this conversation. However, this is how wyverns mark their territory. If we step over this line, we are putting ourselves in mortal danger." Elias spoke curtly and seriously.

"How will it know if we have crossed into its domain?" Lysander asked, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"Nobody is quite sure on how it works, whether it is instinctual, hormonal, or even magical. However, one thing's for certain. It will know when you cross that line. All it will have to do is come and find where you are."

"What do you recommend we do?" Cosmo asked, looking at the line of poison in horror.

"Walk along the line but outside of its perimeter for now. Eventually, the walls of the ravine will most likely prevent us from walking outside of the poison. Then we will have to tread inside of the wyvern's territory."

"Will we not perish if we do so?" Lysander asked. "It will be able to sense our location, right?"

"While the wyvern will know we have entered its territory and where the perimeter has been broken, it cannot sense where we are within its domain." Elias sighed and followed the line of poison to the right. "When- if we must enter its territory, I would advise you to do two things. First, flee quickly to an area far from where you entered. The wyvern will start looking for you where you entered its border. Next, do not lurk in the shadows. Wyverns are infamous for their exceptional darkvision. They will be able to spot you from at least 60 feet away. Just be cautious and stay by my side. In the event of a battle we will try to flee to the best of our abilities."