The obsidian blade shattered, dissolving into a cloud of ash and shadow that was quickly whipped away by the biting wind. A wave of exhaustion, more profound than any Pag had ever known, washed over him. The world tilted, the ground seeming to rise up to meet him. He braced himself for the impact, for the oblivion he was certain awaited... but it never came.

Strong arms caught him, breaking his fall. He blinked, his vision blurry, and saw Andromeda's face swimming into view. Her expression was grim, her brow furrowed with concern, but her grip was firm.

"Easy there," she said, her voice barely a whisper above the wind. "It's over. We made it."

He looked around, trying to gather his bearings. The obsidian plains, with their jagged rocks and malevolent energy, were gone. In their place was a lush forest, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. Sunlight dappled through the canopy, painting the forest floor in shifting patterns of light and shadow. They stood on a narrow path, the remnants of the portal shimmering behind them like a heat haze.

Toula and Maverick, their faces pale but relieved, rushed to his side, their voices a mixture of concern and relief.

"Are you alright?" Toula asked, her hand hovering over his arm as if afraid to touch him.

"You scared us back there," Maverick added, his voice trembling slightly. "That spell… it was like nothing I've ever seen."

Pag managed a weak smile. "I'm alright," he said, his voice raspy. "Just… drained. That place… and that kind of fighting, it takes a lot out of you."

He glanced back at the portal, now fading into nothingness. He couldn't shake the feeling that the obsidian plains, with their oppressive atmosphere and terrifying inhabitants, were watching them, waiting for their return. He shuddered, turning his back on the unsettling sight.

A notification, crisp and businesslike, appeared in his vision, pulling him from his thoughts:

You have faced the obsidian blades and emerged victorious. Your mastery over fire magic has been tested and proven. The land itself recognizes your strength. A new path has opened to you. Seek the Lunar Oracle in the city of Kyrbane. She will guide you towards the resolution of the crown prince of Draggor’s assassination.

Reward: Access to the Lunar Empire, Mark of the Flamebringer>

Pag stared at the notification, his mind racing. He glanced at Andromeda, who was watching him with a curious expression.

"We really need to get to Kyrbane," he said, a new determination hardening his voice. "There's someone I need to meet."

A wave of exhaustion, unlike anything he had ever felt before, crashed over pag. his vision swam, and the world tilted precariously. It felt as though the very ground was surging upward, ready to swallow him whole. The world dissolved into a dizzying swirl of colors and shapes, and he braced hisself for the impact, for the oblivion that he was sure awaited...but it never came.

Strong arms caught him, breaking his fall. Blinking, Pag tried to clear my blurry vision and saw Andromeda’s face swimming into focus. Her expression was grim, her brow furrowed with concern, but her grip was firm, anchoring me to reality.

"Are you alright?" Toula asked, her hand hovering hesitantly over my arm.

"You scared us back there," Maverick added, his voice trembling slightly. "That spell… it was like nothing I've ever seen".

Pag forced a weak smile, my lips feeling stiff and dry. "I'm alright," he croaked, his voice barely a whisper. "Just… drained. That place… it takes a lot out of you".

As they fussed over him, pag glanced back at the spot where the portal had shimmered moments before. It was gone, vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the swirling snow and the oppressive silence of the obsidian plains. The encounter with the obsidian blades had left me shaken. Andromeda’s words echoed in my mind: "They are not mere creatures, Pag. They are spirits of shadow and anger, given form by the land itself." They were more than just creatures; they were a manifestation of the land’s resentment, its fury. A chilling thought.

They pressed on, eager to leave the unsettling atmosphere of the plains behind. As they journeyed towards Kyrbane, the landscape gradually softened. The desolate plains gave way to rolling hills, and the biting wind subsided, replaced by a gentle breeze that carried the scent of pine and damp earth. The remnants of a once-great forest stood in the distance, a stark reminder of the power of the obsidian blades.

Just as Pag began to worry that Aviva wouldn’t make it, he saw a flash of indigo light shimmer at the edge of the treeline. Aviva emerged from the dissipating light, her cloak settling around her as she approached. Her leprin, Azulbek, snorted, shaking his head as if to clear it from the disorientation of teleportation.

“Took you long enough,” Andromeda quipped, her gaze flicking between Aviva and the rapidly approaching forest.

“Teleportation magic is more art than science,” Aviva said with a sigh. She glanced at Pag, her brow furrowing as she noticed his pale complexion. "You also get what you pay for when it comes to one time use magic items like teleportation gems. You look like you've seen a ghost, Pag. Tombs Rattle getting to you?".

Pag grimaced, his chest tightening with each breath. “Let’s just say I’m not looking forward to another blizzard,” he rasped. He knew Aviva wouldn’t appreciate him downplaying the severity of his condition, but he didn’t want to dwell on it. They had more pressing matters to attend to.

“We’ll find the Oracle,” Aviva said, her voice firm, a reassuring presence in the face of their growing unease. Her gaze shifted towards the looming forest, her expression hardening. “We need to get to Kyrbane. Now.”

The journey, however, wasn't without its challenges. Each breath felt as though his lungs were filled with ice shards, sending a searing pain through his chest. Aviva, ever the resourceful healer, had managed to stabilize their condition, but she warned him that the illness could quickly turn fatal if left untreated. The obsidian plains had tested them, pushing pag to his limits. The encounter with the obsidian blades had drained his mana reserves, leaving him feeling weak and vulnerable.

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Despite pags exhaustion, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of excitement as they approached Kyrbane. It was a chance to rest, to regroup, and perhaps even learn more about the Lunar Empire and the cure for his and Avivas affliction.

As dusk began to settle over the land, we finally arrived at the outskirts of Kyrbane. The sight that greeted us was far from the bustling village Toula and Maverick had described. The thatch-roof houses were in ruins, some reduced to piles of rubble. The streets were eerily deserted, save for a few stray dogs scavenging for scraps. The war between Draggor and the Lunar Empire had ravaged this once-peaceful community.

"This… This is Kyrbane?" Maverick asked, his voice barely audible.

Toula nodded, her eyes filled with sadness. "It is," she said, her voice heavy with emotion.

The full extent of the destruction became horrifyingly clear as they entered the village. Burned-out buildings stood like skeletal sentinels against the darkening sky. Overturned carts littered the streets, their contents scattered and forgotten. The air was thick with the stench of smoke and decay. It was a scene of utter devastation.

Andromeda, ever vigilant, scanned the surroundings, her hand instinctively resting on the hilt of her dagger. "There's something… not right here," she murmured, her voice laced with unease. "I can feel it.”

A shiver ran down his spine. Pag felt a sense of unease, a feeling of being watched. The shadows seemed to deepen around us, and the silence was broken only by the mournful cries of crows circling overhead. It was a place of sorrow and loss, and a sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air.

Aviva, ever practical, suggested we find shelter for the night. "We need to rest and regroup," she said, her voice firm despite the unsettling atmosphere. "And we need to find Toula and Maverick's relative. Hopefully, they've managed to survive."

Pag followed her to a partially collapsed building that looked like it might have once been a tavern. The roof had caved in, but the walls still offered some protection from the elements.

As they settled in, Toula and Maverick ventured deeper into the village, their faces etched with worry as they searched for their relative. Andromeda stood guard near the entrance, her keen eyes scanning the street for any sign of danger. Aviva, ever resourceful, began rummaging through the debris, searching for anything that might be useful.

Pag sat down, leaning against a crumbling wall, and pulled out my canteen. The events of the day had left him physically and emotionally drained. The encounter with the obsidian blades, the harrowing escape, and the sight of Kyrbane’s destruction had taken their toll.

As Pag took a long drink of water, my thoughts drifted to Aviva’s warning about Tombs Rattle. The illness was a constant threat, a ticking time bomb that could end my journey prematurely. I needed to find a cure, and soon.

Pags thoughts were interrupted by Toula and Maverick’s return. Their faces were grim, their eyes filled with sorrow. "They're gone," Maverick said, his voice choked with emotion. "Our relative... they didn't make it".

Toula nodded, tears streaming down her face. "It seems the war claimed another victim,” she whispered.

A wave of sadness washed over Pag. Although he had never met their relative, their grief was palpable. Another life lost to the senseless violence of war. It was a sobering reminder of the stakes involved in our quest. We spent the rest of the night huddled together in the ruined tavern, sharing stories and offering words of comfort. As dawn approached, Toula and Maverick decided to return to the Reliquary. It was a place of safety, a sanctuary where they could regroup and plan their next move.

“You can stay there as long as you want, even if that is indefinitely” pag said scratching at his chin.

Toula said nothing but nodded with a weak smile.

As they each prepared to leave, Pag couldn't shake the feeling that Kyrbane held more secrets than they had uncovered. The oppressive atmosphere, the sense of being watched, the whispers of shadows… It was a place that had been touched by darkness, and he had a feeling that darkness would linger long after they were gone.

As Andromeda, Toula, and Maverick turned towards the path leading back to the Reliquary, Aviva placed a hand on Pag’s shoulder. “We’re not going just yet,” she said, her voice firm despite the lingering exhaustion from their battle with the obsidian blades. “We have a city to explore.”

Pag, still reeling from the intensity of the fight and the cryptic message from the hidden quest, nodded slowly. “Kyrbane,” he murmured, the name of the ruined city feeling heavy on his tongue. “The Lunar Oracle is here somewhere.”

Aviva’s gaze swept over the crumbling buildings, the remnants of a once-thriving city now reduced to rubble and ash. The silence was unsettling, broken only by the whisper of the wind through the skeletal branches of the ash trees.

“Let’s hope she’s still alive,” Aviva muttered, her hand tightening on the hilt of her rapier. She knew, as well as Pag, that war had a way of extinguishing even the brightest of hopes.

They moved cautiously through the ruined streets, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. Dilapidated houses, their thatched roofs caved in and walls crumbling, stood like silent witnesses to the violence that had swept through Kyrbane. It was a scene of utter devastation, a stark reminder of the brutal conflict raging between Draggor and the Lunar Empire.

Pag couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Every shadow seemed to hold a hidden threat, every whisper of wind carried a sense of impending danger. He scanned the ruins, his hand instinctively reaching for the vambrace concealed beneath his robe.

“What are we looking for?” Aviva asked, her voice low. “What does this… Lunar Oracle look like?”

Pag hesitated, realizing he had no idea. The hidden quest had offered no description, only a name and a vague sense of purpose. He glanced at the notification again, hoping for some additional clue, but it remained unchanged.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, feeling a surge of frustration. “But I have a feeling we’ll know her when we see her.”

As they moved deeper into the ruins, they began to encounter other signs of life - or rather, the remnants of it. Abandoned carts lay overturned, their contents scattered across the ground. The faint smell of smoke lingered in the air, a testament to recent fires. It was clear that the inhabitants of Kyrbane had fled, driven out by the encroaching war.

“Looks like we’re not the only ones drawn to this place,” Aviva murmured, her eyes scanning the ruins for any sign of movement. “Let’s hope whoever else is here is friendly.”

They rounded a bend in the path and came face to face with a group of refugees huddled around a makeshift fire. Their clothes were ragged, their faces etched with exhaustion and fear. They looked up at Pag and Aviva with a mixture of hope and apprehension.

Pag felt a pang of sympathy for these displaced people, caught in the crossfire of a war they didn’t understand. He approached them cautiously, his hands raised in a gesture of peace.

“We’re not here to harm you,” he said, his voice gentle. “We’re just passing through.”

One of the refugees, an elderly woman with eyes that seemed to hold the weight of the world, stepped forward. “Passing through?” she echoed, her voice hoarse. “There’s nothing left to pass through. This city is dead.”

“What happened?” Aviva asked, her voice soft. “Where did everyone go?”

The old woman sighed, her shoulders slumping under the weight of her grief. “The soldiers came,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Draggor soldiers, Lunar Empire soldiers… it didn’t matter. They fought in our streets, in our homes. They didn’t care who they hurt.”

“They drove us out,” another refugee, a young man with a haunted look in his eyes, added. “Burned our homes, stole our food. They said we were harboring enemies, that we were traitors.”

Pag listened to their stories, his heart heavy with sadness and anger. He had seen the brutality of war firsthand, but hearing the firsthand accounts of these innocent people, their lives shattered by the conflict, filled him with a renewed sense of purpose. He had to find the Lunar Oracle, had to stop ProlixalParagon, had to do everything in his power to prevent more suffering.