"What rank does your guide hold?"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyZKbfg1xT
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45gAYABGJX
The question hung in the air between them.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQ2qhlqKdw
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Cel's pulse quickened. It was a normal question to ask a Chosen. Nothing unusual about it.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq9iexs50q
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Yet his instincts told him otherwise.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtec5PrrKIQ
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"Forty-seven," he lied, forcing the words to come slowly, casually.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7895DTsIH4
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Raven's crimson eyes studied him with that unsettling intensity.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFzDzR2r71
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8AaQXr81A
Heat crawled up Cel's neck. His hands curled slightly at his sides.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWad4DPUTXG
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"She's..." The words tumbled out before he could stop them. "She's the most beautiful person I've ever seen."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6TUbpiIcp
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The admission felt like throwing himself off a cliff. But it was true - viscerally, undeniably true. And perhaps that truth would explain away the nervousness that had crept into his voice.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FVN6GZ5Se
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Raven went still for a moment. Then something in his face changed - the hard line of his mouth eased, the sharpness in those crimson eyes softened. It happened fast, a flicker of something unguarded before his expression settled back into place.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11yAi5cnTI
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"I see." His hand dropped from Cel's shoulder.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBL0Nv1DLe
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He turned toward the mountain without another word. But the tension that had been coiled in his frame was gone, replaced by something that almost resembled satisfaction.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HUQzdFF10
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Cel forced himself to breathe normally, watching Raven's back as he began walking.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0TOgUkbuO
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'What was that about?'107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTe04GOVYv
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The thought circled through his mind, but dwelling on it wouldn't help. Whatever Raven had been looking for in that question, Cel could only hope his lie - buried in obvious truth - had been enough. 107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6nfRC0wAf
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The mountain rose before them, dark stone jutting against the crimson sky.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBjM257x3t
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZf8MRSRmQ
Raven's stride remained confident and measured, giving no indication that anything significant had just transpired.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIdGhwo5wX
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxyQ8F5uSu
Cel followed, boots crunching against ash-covered earth.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqSWDyQafL
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1234 copyright protection103ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBSi5892C0 尼

But something had shifted in the air between them - subtle, almost imperceptible. Like a door that had been tested and found secure.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStGtc6QV20
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3M2BsMiQw4
For now.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuBe1NMihq
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Cel resumed his scanning pattern he'd developed over hours of walking. Scan left. Center. Right. Searching the wasteland for movement, for threats, for anything out of place.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScm1bBt36o
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMyukfAcYP
His eyes caught on a distant speck against the crimson sky.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30j3Erk8bS
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE4qi9qMLU
Black feathers. Red-tipped wings folding at angles that made no sense.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17V42snmRJ
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbabMJ6SutM
The Ember Stalker.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlfRHi9oUG
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It circled once, lazy and deliberate, then began descending.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnmoVeR5EZ
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFs16jSyDvu
Cel's hand drifted to his side, ready to summon Silent Moon. The bird's previous behavior meant nothing. It had ignored him while feeding on the Ashlurker's corpse - that didn't guarantee it would continue to ignore him now.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlrFIZoLuf
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The creature landed perhaps thirty steps ahead, its too-thin legs finding purchase on an obsidian fragment. That elongated neck bent, and a single crimson eye fixed on them with disturbing intelligence.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3mCCh3xh9
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Raven's stride never faltered.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8RibRj31h
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3d0AqkYV6N
He walked forward as if the Ember Stalker weren't there.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5j4WWWxha
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftJb5I9Fxk
Cel remained frozen for a heartbeat, watching the bird. Then he forced his legs to move, closing the distance to Raven's side quickly.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD7pa5mIaR
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Not because he trusted Raven.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0uTn4xzYt
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Because nothing attacked Raven. And right now, that protection mattered more than his suspicions.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5DXAJp7wj
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The bird tilted its head. It hopped from the stone, landing in the ash with barely a sound.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd13KrFolna
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Then it took flight, wings unfolding in sharp angles before it vanished beyond a cluster of broken ruins.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxDIJKGkzk
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Cel's shoulders remained tight.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nISVQwabK
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"It's following us," he said quietly.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmjU2mUH5L
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"Just ignore it." Raven didn't even glance at the bird. "It's been circling since we left the Ashlurker."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjr9aTBfaZE
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Cel said nothing, but his hand stayed ready at his side.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEmmiDZAhS
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VoKZvJWrD
They walked in silence. Minutes stretched into an hour, then longer. The mountain grew steadily, details emerging from what had been a distant smudge - dark stone weathered smooth in places, and something else that made Cel slow his pace.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkn0tr2cxat
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The peak was wrong.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLr7RcehppV
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Not the sharp summit he'd expected, but a flat line cutting across the top. And below it, dark trails carved down the mountainside in branching patterns that looked almost organic.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHQTchYq9N
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡut6ZpoLLBU
"Is that water?" The question escaped before he could think about it. "Frozen water, or... stone?"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQHXwT0hCh
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Raven's gaze tracked upward, following the frozen rivers of stone.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡde0OHmn3Lo
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"Neither." He moved further, studying the trails with quiet intensity.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEg0TkuAwC
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The trails became clearer as they approached the mountain's base - solidified flows hardened into permanent scars that wound across the slopes, some as wide as roads, others thin as veins. The surface had a glassy sheen where it caught the light, black with hints of deep red bleeding through cracks.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6NOSPTzcR
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDKCT1aFox
"Magma," Raven said. "Dried magma."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc8l5xjCdw
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The word made Cel's chest tighten.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9czMUJSpf
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"That's a volcano."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtQxP32QA4
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"Was a volcano." Raven gestured toward the frozen flows. "Look at it. Completely solid. The weathering alone would take centuries."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4BYEv9cDH
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRf6UbWrQKe
Cel stared at those black scars, his mind supplying images of molten rock fountaining from the flattened peak. The earth opening to vomit destruction across the wasteland.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWLFG8mSRH
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBaeGqhl1K
"Centuries doesn't mean it won't erupt again."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkEPn253Yo
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"Nothing is certain." Raven's tone remained calm. "Either we climb and see what's out there, or we wander blind."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwgYnMhgUw
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The logic was sound, even if his instincts screamed otherwise.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPDAS8xLy3
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5GvrSAiXp
Cel's gaze tracked up the mountain's slopes toward that flattened peak. From that height, any rift in a wide range would be visible.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxPV22H4zb
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ285ePaRZMx
"Fine," he said finally. "We climb."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZp9NNcQPp7
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The transition from ash to stone was abrupt. One moment his boots crunched against the wasteland's familiar texture, the next they scraped against volcanic rock - rough and pitted with tiny holes where gas had escaped during cooling.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbAZCZ0UCF
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Raven gripped the stone and pulled himself up with practiced efficiency. His movements were fluid despite the exertion, muscles working beneath his clothing as he found holds and tested weight before committing.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzJrflRtwg
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNMoDufFAY
Cel followed, his fingers finding purchase easily. Even his injured hand obeyed, though the numbness from Frostmark's cold was still there.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrkexf94uH
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They climbed in silence, the only sounds the scrape of boots against stone and their breathing.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaM8cQjv0tv
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmI4fL3elV2
After perhaps half an hour, Raven's breathing had grown noticeably heavier. Not gasping, but labored in a way that suggested real exertion. Sweat darkened his collar despite the cooling air.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yJe6Rxjjp
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4fyZoHwm9
Cel's own breathing remained steady. Easy. His muscles worked without complaint, showing no sign of the fatigue that should have set in by now.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76pOY7lvMH
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The light began to shift.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nagTPjAIH
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Crimson bled toward deeper red. Shadows lengthened across the mountain's face. Day transitioned to evening, and with it came the moon - pale light washing over the darkening sky.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡta6lG7Vgx9
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJQG5pjMD5
The change rippled through Cel's body as Lunar Vigor awakened. Energy flooded his limbs, washing away the last traces of exertion. His movements became easier with each passing minute. Every handhold felt secure, every foothold solid.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbo4n2zV7f
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Ahead, Raven's pace was slowing. His grip on the stone looked tight enough to hurt, shoulders rising and falling with each breath. He moved with the same efficiency, but the ease had vanished - replaced by visible effort.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3MTX3zBHk
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The contrast grew more pronounced with each passing minute. As the moon climbed higher, as true night settled over the Ashlands, Cel felt himself growing stronger while Raven's movements became increasingly labored.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfEc3rxJqr
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They crested the rim as the last trace of crimson faded from the sky. 107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZlQQnzaQx
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83QQnMp3SX
The peak wasn't a summit at all - just a flattened ring of stone perhaps fifty steps wide, forming a perfect circle around the volcano's throat.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahUxSrTxZ2
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzUxYiTQ1n
Cel pulled himself over the edge and straightened, his gaze immediately drawn to the center.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCoHFpq8pr
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The crater yawned before them - a circular pit dropping into darkness. But even without seeing the bottom, the dried magma flows were visible along the inner walls, frozen mid-cascade in overlapping layers that spoke of multiple eruptions over time.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrpYlRdT5F
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No heat shimmered above the opening. No steam rose from the depths. The air was no warmer here than it had been at the base.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHeAO7ZpG9
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The volcano was dead. Completely dead.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpPVmFDNMs
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Raven hauled himself over the rim with visible effort, his chest heaving. He moved away from the edge and sank against an outcropping of stone, sweat coating his face despite the night's chill.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMh6kyohTuo
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Cel remained standing, feeling the moon's light wash over him like liquid energy. His wounds still throbbed, but distantly - as if the pain belonged to someone else.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvObTsy981
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The bird appeared, landing on the rim's opposite side. It folded its wings and settled into that same watchful stillness, crimson eye gleaming in the moonlight.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7o1Crht2x
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ye2L9kStZ
Cel ignored it, his attention tracking across the flattened peak. The stone was mostly barren - volcanic rock weathered smooth in places, jagged in others. But near the crater's edge, where the rim curved inward slightly, a section of stone had collapsed into itself, creating a shallow depression perhaps three body-lengths across.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuDZyHDDYy
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Not shelter, exactly. But better than sleeping exposed on open stone.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jaTkKkmWE
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9SJ0oIC5u
"There," Cel said, gesturing toward the depression.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2R9OmG6U7Y
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Raven's gaze followed, then he nodded once. He pushed himself upright with visible effort and crossed to the collapsed section.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp8IYA1eQ5
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The depression was deeper than it had looked - perhaps waist-high at its center, the walls formed by broken stone that offered some protection. The floor was relatively flat, covered in a thin layer of ash that had accumulated over time.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eocHaaJBv
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zYWARabq2
Raven settled against one wall immediately, his breathing still heavy.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEH3YoHZB9i
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNk2GhxBWE
Cel remained standing, his gaze sweeping across the Ashlands spread below. The wasteland stretched endlessly in every direction, bathed in pale moonlight that turned the ash silver. From this height, he could see for leagues - every ruin, every scattered stone, every shadow that might hide danger.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnZFE5A9yA
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But no rifts. No tears in reality glowing with otherworldly light.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBU8kMuaKEd
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Just endless gray beneath the moon's cold gaze.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPdad0B6sL
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"Tomorrow," Raven said quietly, his voice rough with exhaustion. "When it's light. We'll see better."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwvejhM3kr
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dYi4zfxur
Cel nodded, though Raven's eyes were already closed.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8xFt5jl3f
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5eqdS8NkW
He moved to the opposite wall and settled against it, letting Cinderward's cloak pool around him. His body felt ready to run, to fight, to do anything except rest.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRMc1zvNyP
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But Raven needed sleep. And searching for rifts in darkness would accomplish nothing.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EBW3zfgUl
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WA8bIu2jL
So Cel sat, his gaze tracking between the bird still perched on the rim and the wasteland below.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpZTCqzcq3
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqErB5dtNM
Waiting for dawn.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXKcjYAiXs
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIEinuevku
Waiting to see if this climb had been worth.1234 copyright protection103ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5jX3rY2wR 尼

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