Wraith and I broke camp before first light. As we continued our journey the terrain became more rugged. The rocky and flat landscape gave way to deep gorges. Red sandstone mesas towered over us all around, shining like beacons in the morning sun. The edges of my hood flapped against the cool breeze coming from the West; it made me shudder a bit.

As we carried on, the road continued through a series of deep, winding chasms. Wraith was on edge, gazing in all directions as if expecting an ambush anytime. We meandered through the rocky path for the better part of that morning, until the narrow corridor opened into a wider valley.

And roughly in the center of it, another towering structure stood. This one, however, was made by human hands.

It was an imposing fortress made of black granite, making it stand out against the surrounding landscape. The massive spire rose to about four hundred feet above the valley floor, flanked by two shorter, thinner spires on its sides. Right next to the imposing tower, an equally impressive wall blocked passage to the opposite side of the valley.

Wraith whistled in awe. “So this is The Vigil. What a sight!”

“This fortress marks the western boundary of the lands controlled by Ysle,” I said. “Beyond its gates lies the A’dari Wastes.”

“Is this the only way in, for real?” The Champion asked, pursing his lips. “I mean, this border is hundreds of miles long in either direction.”

“There are other passages that treasure hunters had used to get into the Wastes,” I admitted. “But they are narrow corridors that pass through even harder terrain and are infested with Waste-monsters. This is the only passage wide and safe enough to allow a large expedition to march in with relative ease.”

“So… Do we knock on the door and ask them nicely to let us through?” Wraith laughed.

I shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out… Let’s go.”

We spurred our mounts into a gallop. It only took us a few minutes to get within a few hundred yards from the wall. We heard the blowing of several horns in the distance, and soon enough we were intercepted by four riders clad in Janissary armor.

“Halt!” The leader of the party said, raising his hand. “By command of the Blessed Princess Shjasta and the Priestesshood, no one is permitted to enter the Wastes.”

“Not even the Blessed Princess and her Champion are allowed passage, then?” Wraith retorted, showing his trademark smug face.

I pulled my hood back, allowing the soldiers to get a good look at my face. They opened their visors in surprise and immediately inclined their heads respectfully.

“Princess Shjasta!” Their leader said, unbelieving of what his eyes were seeing. “What are you doing here? We had no forewarning of your coming!”

“Sorry for that,” My Champion chuckled, “but we were in a hurry.”

I raised my hand to demand silence from Wraith. “My Champion and I are on an urgent mission. We need to speak with your commander immediately.”

The riders looked at each other in confusion. “Of course, Your Highness. Please, follow us.”

They escorted us back to the tower. After a series of elevators and stairs, we eventually reached the top of the grand spire, where the commander’s quarters were located. As soon as we were announced he got up from his chair to greet us. I guessed he was well into his forties by the look of his weathered face, but he still was a tall, imposing man.

“Your Highness,” he said while bowing. “This is a most unexpected visit! To what do we owe such honor?”

“You better sit back down, cause this is quite the tale,” Wraith replied.

The commander invited us to sit on the chairs in front of his desk, while he took his seat. He ordered his men to close the door and not let anyone in. I then proceeded to explain what had happened back in the City, and the reasons for my travel there. Needless to say, the man’s brow furrowed in both confusion and what I deduced was a bit of mistrust.

“Let me see if I have it all clear,” He said after I finished talking. “You want to go into the Wastes with the hope you can find a working Crystal-forge and use it to recharge the Soul Prism.”

“Yes,” I nodded.

The man shook his head in disbelief. “Well, here at this place we don’t care much about religion or politics. But we do care about our sworn duty. I am truly sorry, Your Highness, but I cannot allow you to continue with your journey. Perhaps it would’ve been better for you to go South to Yeonbrooke and ask the Compact for their help instead.”

“We pretty much said so to the Princess,” Wraith admitted. “But she insisted on coming this way. Don’t worry, I'll take good care of her out there!”

“I don’t doubt that, Champion.” The commander smiled. “But it’s not Her Highness’ safety what concerns me. Our mandate has stood for a thousand years, and is crystal-clear: no one enters the A’dari Wastes, no exceptions. Not even for the Blessed Princess and her Champion.

I tried to further plead my case, but The Vigil’s commander remained steadfast in his refusal. I played my next card by showing him the Prism. Its glow had diminished dramatically since the time I held it during the Ceremony.

“I didn't come here out of a whim. The Gods spoke to me through the Prism," I said, trying to ignore the disbelief drawn on their faces. "But I think… no... I believe there is something else in the ruined heart of A’dar that awaits us. And I believe that’s the reason the Empire is working hard to render this fortress irrelevant as we speak.”

The commander’s brow arched in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

“The Ravens are building a damned tunnel right under the Ironclaws!” Wraith chimed in. “We don’t know how far they are into it, but for all we know, they might've finished it by now.”

The commander rose from his chair, his right hand caressing the well-trimmed beard growing on his chin. “This might explain things…” He mused.

It was our turn for a surprise.

He elaborated. “We started hearing reports of strange quakes further West from our patrols, alongside increased Waste-monster activity. I was wondering as to what might be causing it. Anchlesia was definitely not on my list of suspects.”

“We must uncover whatever secrets the Wastes hold before the Empire does,” I said. “Please.”

I was almost certain that in light of this new information, the commander would finally cave in and let us go. His face, however, told me that his answer would still be no.

Or it would’ve been no, had the blaring of horns coming from outside not interrupted him.

The door opened so fast it hit the wall with a loud bang. “Sir… a large number of Waste-monsters are heading this way. Some of them are large enough to possibly cause damage to the wall.”

“Sound the alarm!” The commander ordered with a booming voice. “Everyone, to arms!”

The soldier nodded and left. The commander turned his attention back to us as he started to walk away from his office.

“Your Highness, you should stay inside while we handle this situation.”

“I can fight too!” Wraith said as he jumped from his chair and rushed forward. “The Princess is a very capable healer; she can tend to any wounded soldiers.”

“Yes. Let us help you, commander,” I said, my fists clenched in determination.

“As you wish,” the veteran soldier nodded. “Come with me.”

As we headed out we could hear the blowing of horns and the frantic yelling of soldiers scrambling and preparing for battle. From that vantage point, we had an unobstructed view of the valley below in both directions. I noticed a large reddish cloud rising from the West, the wind carrying it towards the fortress.

“Judging by the size of that dust cloud, it’s a large stampede heading this way,” The commander mused. “This is bad.”

“Aren’t Waste-monsters a common sight here?” Wraith asked.

“Only the occasional one or two. Nothing to be concerned with, normally” The commander admitted. “This is the first time something like this happens since I’ve been stationed here.”

I swallowed hard as we eventually reached the top of the wall. It was wide enough to allow up to eight men to walk its length side by side. The ramparts were already occupied by soldiers wielding bows and crossbows. Every three hundred feet the wall widened to allow the placement of a ballista; there were sixteen across the mile-long barrier.

“Are the monsters in sight?” the commander asked one of his men.

“Yes,” the soldier replied. “They will be within reach of the ballistae very soon. But…”

“But what?”

“We won’t be able to stop them all before they reach the wall.”

“Let’s concentrate on taking as many of them down as we can. And bring the Priestesses. Their fire and healing will come in handy.”

There were six Priestesses in the fortress, and they answered the commander’s call. They recognized me and urged me to take shelter, but I insisted on helping.

One of the lookouts announced that the vanguard of the Waste-monster stampede was within reach of the ballistae, and the commander ordered to open fire. The large contraptions fired their harpoon-like bolts towards the approaching onslaught, downing several of the crazed beasts. There was enough time to reload and fire a second volley.

“Archers and crossbowmen, fire at will!” The commander shouted.

A rain of arrows and bolts fell over the stampede; the smaller creatures were vulnerable, but the larger ones continued their charge unabated. The ballistae fired again, its harpoons piercing the flesh of the monsters several rows behind their fast-approaching front line. The charging monsters filled the air with their deafening shrieks and howls, announcing their first attack against us.

Incoming!” one of the soldiers yelled. “Take co-”

The soldier’s warning was interrupted when a black thorn-like projectile lodged itself in his throat. The man fell to the ground gasping as he choked in his own blood. I was petrified in fear when a heavy rain of those barbs fell over our heads. They were capable of penetrating even the thick Janissary armor, and even a scratch could be fatal due to the poison coating them. Once the first volley ended I approached a soldier whose arm was wounded, channeling a spell to both mend his flesh and neutralize the toxin.

“This is bad, Princess,” Wraith said with clenched teeth, keeping his head low to avoid the next volley of poisoned barbs fired by the monsters. “Those things killed many soldiers already!”

Certainly, I saw a dozen men laid dead or agonizing on the floor. One of the fortress Priestesses, wearing the Flame-keeper's robes, sat dead against the ramparts, a large barb protruding from her chest.

While I concentrated on healing another soldier the entire wall trembled; the vanguard of the stampede had crashed into it. The barrier proved no obstacle to the monsters as they started to climb it. The commander ordered his men to step back.

“Unsheathe your swords!” The commander ordered as the first of the monsters reared its head over the battlements.

He charged and buried his blade at the monster’s body, eliciting a rabid shriek from it. His men followed suit, while the Priestesses hurled fireballs at them, the acrid smell of burnt flesh soon filling the dust-saturated air.

But the monsters kept on coming, and Wraith joined the soldiers in their desperate attempts at driving them back.

Now that I had a chance to see Waste-monsters up close, I could tell that no two of them were alike. No wonder these aberrations defied any efforts at scholarly classification. Some had more than one head, while others had none. Their limbs and bodies were deformed, twisted masses of flesh and bone, riddled with warts and pustules. Some had spines, others had chitinous plates. All of them, however, were vicious.

A thundering roar took me away from these ruminations. I took a glance over the parapet to see an enormous monster approaching, almost as tall as the wall, its body a hulking mass of muscles that could breach the wall with ease. The commander ordered his remaining bowmen and ballistae to fire everything they had at the huge monster. The projectiles bit its flesh but did little to deter its rabid charge.

“Oh, we are so fucked!” Wraith laughed even while battling one of the lesser monsters climbing the walls. “Only a damned miracle can save us now!”

“A miracle…” I whispered, reaching for my backpack.

We were at the mercy of the Gods… for those monsters would spare none for us. As I produced the Prism from within my sack I closed my eyes and prayed silently, asking the Lords of Creation for deliverance from this encroaching evil.

And it seemed They heard my prayer, as the relic started to feel warmer.

I opened my eyes, surprised to see it glowing even more radiantly than during the Ceremony. And everyone around me noticed it as well.

“What the hell?” my Champion muttered in sheer surprise.

“Everyone, stand aside!” I yelled as I stood up and approached the battlements.

“Are you crazy!?” Wraith growled as he approached me. “These things will eat you alive!”

“No, they will not,” I said with confidence. “For the Gods are with me!”

I rose the Prism over my head, and its glow became a blinding flash. Wraith and everyone else around me closed their eyes to shield them from the powerful blaze.

“In the name of the Lords of Creation, I call upon the Holy Fire to pierce the approaching Darkness! Return to the shadows from whence you came, Spawn of the Waste!”

As if on cue one of the monsters launched against me, its misshapen claws ready to cut me down to shreds. But before it could touch me, I unleashed the Ignas Anima spell.

A luminous shockwave brought everyone to its knees, while rings of blue-white flame rippled from inside the Prism. The monster about to strike me down simply disintegrated in a puff of smoke and ash when the fire touched it.

The holy flames rolled down the wall, incinerating every creature on its path. Their shrieks of pain filled the air as the river of fire spread over the valley floor. It kept flowing away towards the West, consuming every Waste-monster in its path. A few seconds later silence fell upon us as the last squeal died out.

“I’ll be damned!” Wraith exclaimed as he got up. “It seems the Prism still had a bit of juice left in it!” He laughed.

“Yes,” I smiled at my Champion, lowering my arms and showing him the now-depleted relic. “The Gods allowed me to tap into its remaining power.”

“Gods be praised!” The surviving Priestesses exclaimed.

“I really thought we were goners…” the commander sighed in relief. “Your coming here was indeed a Gods-send, Your Highness!”

“Commander, take a look at this!” a soldier said, signaling the corpse of one of the few monsters the fire didn't consume.

The commander knelt next to the body. “This creature’s skin had been lacerated by Anchlesian whips. So it’s true, then…”

He rose and looked at me and Wraith. “You will rest here tonight. Tomorrow, your journey continues.”